The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Wednesday that it has received an appeal from the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF). The appeal challenges the surprising decision to revoke the AFCON 2025 title, which Senegal had initially won against Morocco in January. Senegal has filed its appeal against both the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), asserting that the decision is unjust and stems from corruption.
Two months prior, during the Africa Cup of Nations final, Senegal had defeated Morocco 1-0. The match saw a contentious moment when Senegalese players, protesting a referee’s decision, temporarily left the field under their coach’s instruction. They returned 14 minutes later, allowing the referee to restart the game. Morocco’s Brahim Díaz subsequently missed a penalty, and Senegal went on to score the winning goal in extra time.
Following the match, Morocco lodged an appeal with CAF. CAF subsequently ruled in Morocco’s favor, declaring them 3-0 winners by forfeit, citing a violation of Article 82 by the Senegalese players. Consequently, Morocco is currently recognized as the official AFCON champion. However, the trophy remains with Senegal pending the CAS arbitration committee’s decision on Senegal’s appeal, which is expected “as quickly as possible,” though no specific timeline for a ruling has been announced.