Le Tribunal arbitral du sport a examiné jeudi à Lausanne un recours concernant la finale de la Coupe d’Afrique des nations 2025, dans lequel le Sénégal contemple la décision de la Confédération africaine de football d’attribuer le titre au Maroc sur tapis vert.
CAS Hearing Behind Closed Doors in Lausanne
Nearly nine months after the chaotic conclusion to the tournament in Rabat, lawyers and representatives from the Senegalese Football Federation, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, and the Confédération Africaine de Football met behind closed doors at the court’s headquarters on the shores of Lake Geneva.
The arbitration panel consists of French law expert Gérald Simon as president, alongside Italian arbitrator Luigi Fumagalli and German arbitrator Ulrich Haas. Because both federations requested privacy, the arguments were heard without public access, and the court indicated that a final ruling will be issued in writing within several weeks.
The Chaotic Finish in Rabat and the CAF Appeal Verdict
On January 18, 2025, Senegal initially claimed the continental crown by defeating Morocco 1–0 through extra time, courtesy of a goal by Pape Gueye. The match descended into turmoil during stoppage time when Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded a penalty to Morocco—which Brahim Díaz ultimately missed. In protest, a large portion of the Senegal squad left the playing surface, remaining off the pitch for roughly 15 minutes before returning to finish the fixture.
Following a legal challenge by the Moroccan federation, the CAF appeals jury overturned the on-field result on March 17, 2025. Applying articles 82 and 84 of tournament regulations, which penalize teams for leaving the pitch without referee authorization before regular time concludes, the governing body declared Senegal a 3–0 loser by forfeit. The Senegalese federation swiftly denounced the ruling as an administrative penalty and later displayed the trophy to diaspora supporters at the Stade de France while escalating the dispute to the Swiss-based tribunal.
Legal Experts Challenge Strict Reading of Tournament Rules
Legal experts note the unprecedented nature of the dispute. Thibault Ulrich, a sports law researcher at the University of Lausanne, told Agence France-Presse that no national selection has ever lost a title won on the pitch in such a manner, characterizing the CAF appeals jury decision as an extremely strict reading of tournament rules that ignored the referee’s decision to restart play.
Senegal’s legal defense leans heavily on the foundational principles of association football. Law 5.2 of the International Football Association Board dictates that an official’s decisions regarding facts connected to play are final, including goal validations and match results. The IFAB rulebook further states that an official cannot alter a restart once play has resumed, even if the decision was incorrect. This principle aligns with longstanding CAS jurisprudence that protects sporting results from post-match judicial interference unless corruption or bad faith is proven.
Senegal Requests Investigation into CAF Leadership Corruption
Beyond the match regulations, the dispute has triggered broader questions regarding football administration. Alongside its CAS filing, the Senegalese government formally requested an international investigation on March 18, 2025, alleging corruption within the continental governing body’s leadership. The CAF maintained that its disciplinary bodies operate independently.
However, the organization dismissed Djiboutian jurist Yassin Osman Robleh from his six-year role overseeing procedural integrity just 15 days prior to issuing the controversial appeal verdict, without providing a public explanation for his departure.
Timeline of the Dispute
- January 18, 2025: Senegal defeats Morocco 1–0 in extra time at Rabat to win the Africa Cup of Nations following a temporary walkout by players.
- March 17, 2025: The CAF appeals jury sustains a challenge from Morocco, forfeiting the match 3–0 to the hosts and awarding them the title.
- March 18, 2025: Senegal’s government calls for an international investigation into CAF governance, while the federation prepares its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
- October 8: The Court of Arbitration for Sport holds a closed-door hearing in Lausanne to hear arguments from all parties involved.
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