Senegal-Morocco AFCON Final Dispute Heads to Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is set to adjudicate a high-stakes dispute between the Senegalese and Moroccan football federations, with the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title hanging in the balance. The case, stemming from the controversial AFCON 2025 final, has taken a new turn with the emergence of key match reports. According to a report by Le Monde, which reviewed five official reports from the final, the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) did not formally protest the referee’s decision to restart the match after the Senegalese team temporarily left the pitch.
This detail is central to the appeal filed by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) with CAS. The FSF is contesting a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which awarded the match, and thus the AFCON title, to Morocco after the final was abandoned. The Senegalese team had left the pitch in protest of a refereeing decision, and the match was later abandoned. CAF subsequently declared Morocco the 3-0 winners and champions.
The CAF Disciplinary Committee has defended the on-field referee, Jean-Jacques Ngambo Ndala, stating in a document that he made a "literal reading and interpretation" of the competition regulations. The CAF argues that the rules do not explicitly state that a match must be definitively abandoned for a forfeit to be applied. The governing body maintains the referee, as the "supreme authority" on the pitch, acted within his competence by allowing the match to resume and then be concluded after the Senegalese team's departure.
Morocco's appeal to CAF, filed on February 19th, argued that a precedent allowing a team to leave the pitch and later return would set a "dangerous and unfortunate precedent for the integrity of African and international football." They warned it could encourage teams to use temporary walkouts as a tactical or pressuring tool. Following Morocco's appeal, CAF officially confirmed Morocco as champions. The Senegalese federation then escalated the matter to CAS, the highest legal authority in international sport.
The core of Senegal's case, as revealed by the official match reports, is that Morocco raised no formal protest when the referee decided to restart the game with only the Moroccan team on the field. This, the FSF argues, undermines Morocco's subsequent appeal and CAF's final decision. The CAS is now tasked with untangling the incident, with the legitimacy of the 2025 AFCON title at stake. A ruling in favor of Senegal could see the title and trophy returned, while a ruling for Morocco would confirm their championship.
The outcome will have significant ramifications, setting a legal and sporting precedent for how similar incidents are governed in football. The CAS panel's interpretation of the match reports, the referee's authority, and the application of forfeiture rules will determine the final destination of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations trophy.
