Can 2025: the legal battle between Sénégal and Maroc enters a new phase at the TAS

The legal dispute surrounding the CAN 2025 final is intensifying. Following an appeal lodged on March 25 by the Fédération sénégalaise de football (FSF), the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) in Lausanne is now moving forward with the case. This follows the Confédération africaine de football (CAF) decision to award the title to Maroc administratively, despite Sénégal winning the match 1-0 on the pitch. The Moroccan federation has until May 7 to submit its defense.

This conflict regarding the Coupe d’Afrique des Nations (CAN) 2025 has reached a critical turning point. The TAS, having been petitioned by the FSF, set a firm deadline for the Fédération royale marocaine de football (FRMF) to file its responding brief. This timeframe aligns with standard regulations for parties involved in a formal appeal.

In this high-stakes procedure, the FSF is challenging both the CAF and the FRMF after a ruling that stripped Sénégal of its victory. The TAS previously confirmed it had received the Senegalese appeal. Under the current rules, the appellant has twenty days to detail its arguments, with the opposing parties granted an equal amount of time to respond.

While the FSF had requested a suspension, which briefly slowed the process, the case is now proceeding through a traditional legal route. The dispute will be settled by a panel of three independent arbitrators: one selected by Sénégal, one by the joint defense of the CAF and Maroc, and a neutral president appointed by the TAS itself.

The core of the disagreement stems from a March 17 ruling by the CAF Appeals Jury. That decision confirmed a forfeit defeat for Sénégal, overturning the results of the January 18 final. During that match, Senegalese players had briefly left the field to protest a penalty granted to Maroc in the final moments of the game.

Currently, both sides are engaged in the written phase of the proceedings, submitting their respective evidence. Following this, the TAS will schedule a hearing to listen to oral testimonies before beginning deliberations. Although the TAS aims for a swift resolution, a final verdict could still take several months to be reached.

Even though a goal from Pape Gueye originally secured the trophy for Sénégal, the ultimate winner of CAN 2025 now remains uncertain, pending the final judgment from the TAS.