Senegal has taken their AFCON 2025 title battle to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, officially challenging the decision that saw them stripped of the trophy.
The Switzerland-based body confirmed it has received an appeal from the Senegalese Football Federation, which is seeking to overturn the earlier ruling by the Confederation of African Football.
Senegal had originally been crowned champions after edging the hosts, Morocco’s national football team, 1-0, after extra time in a tense final. However, the match was overshadowed by controversy when Senegal’s players briefly walked off in protest of a penalty decision awarded to Morocco — a spot-kick that was eventually missed.
After the game, Moroccan football authorities lodged a complaint with CAF, citing regulations to argue that the match should be forfeited in their favour. CAF’s appeal board later ruled in Morocco’s favour, overturning Senegal’s win and handing them the title.
Unhappy with that outcome, Senegal has now escalated the matter to CAS, asking for CAF’s decision to be set aside and for their status as champions to be restored.
CAS confirmed the appeal is aimed at nullifying CAF’s ruling and recognising Senegal as the rightful winners. The federation has also requested more time to submit its full case, pending the release of the detailed reasoning behind CAF’s decision.
Both CAF and Morocco have been named as respondents, with an arbitration panel set to be formed to hear the case. No hearing date has been scheduled yet due to Senegal’s request for additional time.
CAS Director-General Matthieu Reeb said the organisation is fully prepared to handle the dispute, noting that experienced and independent arbitrators will oversee the process to ensure a fair and timely resolution.
The final verdict will ultimately decide who officially holds the AFCON 2025 title, as fans across the continent await clarity on the controversial outcome.
