The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has submitted its formal defense to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in response to Senegal’s appeal contesting the CAF’s decision to award the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) hosting rights to Morocco.

Next steps in the CAS process

Following the FRMF’s submission, the CAS is now set to review the case documents submitted by both the Moroccan and Senegalese football federations. The tribunal will assess the legal arguments presented before making a final ruling on the matter.

The Moroccan side has clarified that its defense filing strictly followed all procedural deadlines, countering rumors suggesting potential time-bar issues. According to CAS rules, submissions due on a non-working day are automatically extended to the next business day, which the FRMF confirmed applies to its submission.

Background of the dispute

The dispute stems from the controversial conclusion of the 2025 CAN final between Senegal and Morocco. After Senegalese players walked off the pitch, the CAF declared Morocco the winner by forfeit and awarded a 3–0 victory. Senegal subsequently filed an appeal with the CAS, challenging the legitimacy of this decision and requesting a reversal of the outcome.

The FRMF has maintained throughout that the CAF acted within its regulatory authority when rendering the final verdict, and the Moroccan federation continues to uphold the procedural integrity of the entire process.