The Tribunal Arbitral du Sport (TAS) has unveiled the schedule for the highly anticipated hearing regarding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2025) final dispute between Morocco and Senegal. The hearing is set to take place on October 8 at 9:30 AM at the TAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. The hearing will be held in person but will be closed to the public as none of the parties involved requested it to be open.
The TAS has confirmed that representatives from the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) and the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) will attend the hearing in person. The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), a third party involved in the procedure, will be represented by its advisors. The hearing will be conducted in French, as agreed upon by the parties.
The TAS has also announced the composition of the arbitration panel that will examine the case. The panel will be presided over by French arbitrator Gérald Simon, accompanied by Italian arbitrator Luigi Fumagalli and German arbitrator Ulrich Haas. This hearing follows the appeal lodged by the FSF against the CAF and FRMF after the decision rendered by the CAF's Appeal Commission regarding the outcome of the CAN 2025 final.
The dispute arose after the CAF's Appeal Commission ruled on March 17, 2026, following a complaint by the FRMF, on the application of articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations related to the events that marked the final. The Commission's decision was contested by the FSF, leading to the current hearing at the TAS.
The hearing on October 8 will mark a crucial step in resolving the dispute. However, the final verdict will not be announced on the same day. After the hearing, the three arbitrators will begin their deliberations. The TAS has confirmed that it cannot announce the date of the decision at this stage but has assured that it will not be pronounced on the day of the hearing.
The TAS's decision will have significant implications for both the FSF and FRMF, as well as for the CAF. The outcome will determine the final result of the CAN 2025, which has been disputed due to various issues. The hearing's result will bring clarity to the situation and provide a resolution to the ongoing dispute.
The dispute over the CAN 2025 final has garnered significant attention from the football community. The TAS's role in resolving the dispute highlights the importance of fair play and justice in sports. The final decision will bring closure to the controversy surrounding the CAN 2025 final and will have a lasting impact on the football community.
Key points
- The hearing will be presided over by Gérald Simon, with Luigi Fumagalli and Ulrich Haas as co-arbitrators.
- The hearing will be conducted in French, as agreed upon by the parties involved.
- The final verdict will not be announced on October 8, but rather after the arbitrators' deliberations.
