The Senegalese Football Association has officially escalated its battle to reclaim the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy, filing an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The unprecedented controversy stems from a March 17 ruling by the CAF Appeals Board, which sensationally stripped Senegal of its AFCON title and crowned Morocco as the champions.
CAF justified the severe sanction by citing breaches of Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament’s regulations, following a dramatic incident where several Senegalese players walked off the pitch to their dressing room in protest of a referee’s decision.
Unwilling to accept the verdict, the Senegalese FA is now demanding that the global sports tribunal overturn the Appeals Board’s decision and officially reinstate the Teranga Lions as the undisputed champions of Africa. CAS confirmed that the appeal was formally registered on Wednesday.
In addition to seeking a complete reversal of the ruling, the apex court for sporting disputes revealed that Senegal has requested an immediate suspension of the time limit to submit its appeal brief.
The Senegalese FA insists this suspension should remain in place until CAF formally notifies them of the decision with its full legal and procedural grounds.
Outlining the next steps, CAS announced that an Arbitral Panel will soon be appointed to thoroughly review the matter before establishing a procedural calendar for the dispute.
“In accordance with CAS procedural rules, an Appellant has twenty days to file an appeal brief with legal arguments, and the Respondents then have a further twenty days to submit an answer containing a statement of defence,” the tribunal stated.
Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, the court noted that it is still too early to determine an exact timeline or schedule a hearing, particularly given Senegal’s ongoing request to suspend the submission deadlines.
However, CAS assured the footballing world that it will ensure the arbitration proceedings are conducted as swiftly as possible, while fully respecting the right of all involved parties to a fair hearing.
