A resolution appears to be in sight in one of the most controversial cases in the history of African football, as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hold a closed hearing on Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland, to consider the appeal filed by the Senegalese Football Federation against the administrative decision that awarded Morocco the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title.
اضافة اعلان
The three-member arbitration panel Frenchman Gérald Simon, Italian Luigi Fumagalli and German Ulrich Haas will hear representatives of the Senegalese, Moroccan and African football federations (CAF). Although the court has confirmed that no final decision will be issued on Thursday, deliberations are expected to begin immediately after the hearing, signaling that a resolution to the complex dispute could come soon.
From Senegal’s victory to Morocco’s title
The dispute dates back to the tournament final held on January 18 in Morocco’s capital, Rabat. The match descended into chaos after Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty, which Ibrahim Díaz missed, prompting Senegal’s players to leave the pitch in protest. They returned 15 minutes later to complete the match, eventually scoring the winning goal in extra time to secure a 1–0 victory.
However, on March 17, CAF’s Appeals Board turned the decision on its head, declaring Senegal the 3–0 loser and awarding Morocco the title administratively. The decision was based on tournament regulations prohibiting teams from leaving the pitch before the legally prescribed end of a match without the referee’s permission.
The ruling sparked outrage in Dakar, with the Senegalese Football Federation denouncing it as “the most egregious administrative robbery in the history of our sport.” Senegal retained the trophy and celebrated with its community in Paris before deciding to take the case to CAS in an effort to reclaim the title.
An exceptional legal test
The case presents CAS with an exceptional legal challenge. According to sports law researcher Thibault Ulrich, there has never previously been a case in which a national team was stripped of a title that had been “won on the field and validated by the referee.”
Senegal’s position is based on the “field of play doctrine” and Law 5.2 of the Laws of the Game, which states that referees’ decisions are final.
Ulrich said CAF adopted a strict interpretation of its regulations while overlooking the fact that the Congolese referee had effectively allowed play to resume after Senegal’s players returned to the pitch. He argued that match outcomes should be settled on the field to protect the credibility of the game.
The dispute has also gone beyond sporting regulations, with the Senegalese government calling for an international investigation into alleged “corruption” within CAF.
Although the African football governing body has denied the allegations and defended the independence of its disciplinary bodies, the uncertainty deepened after CAF abruptly dismissed legal expert Yassine Othman Robleh — 15 days before the appeal hearing who had been responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the federation’s procedures for years.
Resource: Al-Ghad
