CAS Sets October Date For Senegal AFCON Appeal

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has scheduled October 8 to hear Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to strip the country of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award the championship to Morocco.

Senegal had defeated hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the final played in Rabat on January 18, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal. However, the match was overshadowed by controversy after Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest against a penalty awarded to Morocco during normal time. The game was also disrupted when some supporters attempted to invade the field.

Following an investigation, CAF ruled in March that Senegal had forfeited the match because of the incidents surrounding the final. The governing body overturned the original result, awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory and declared the hosts champions of Africa, prompting the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) to challenge the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

CAS confirmed that the appeal will be heard behind closed doors at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. The tribunal said the FSF is seeking to have CAF’s ruling annulled and Senegal reinstated as the rightful AFCON champions. It also clarified that no final verdict will be delivered on the day of the hearing, with the decision expected to be issued at a later date after the arbitration panel has reviewed submissions from both parties.

SOURCE: Reuters