New step in the thorny case.. Sports court sets hearing date

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced the date of the hearing for the dispute related to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, to determine the identity of the champion between Morocco and Senegal.

The court confirmed in an official statement issued on Friday that the hearing on the case will be held on October 8 at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, after the appeal filed by the Senegalese Football Federation on March 25.

Today's CAS announcement confirms earlier press reports that the hearing in the case would be in September or October, after rumors spread on social media that the court was preparing to issue its ruling in July.

The Senegalese Football Federation demands the cancellation of the decision issued by the African Football Confederation (CAF) considering the Senegal team withdrawn from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, and the adoption of the Moroccan team's win by a 3-0 score and its crowning as champion.

The Senegalese federation also requests in its complaint submitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to be recognized as the champion of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Closed session and later decision

The Court of Arbitration for Sport stated in its statement that the parties involved did not agree to expedite the proceedings in the case, so it will proceed according to the usual timeline in accordance with the court's procedural rules.

The statement added that the hearing date was set after consultation with all parties, who also did not request that the hearing be public, meaning it will be held behind closed doors.

After the hearing concludes, the arbitral tribunal will begin its deliberations, with the final decision to be issued at a later date. The court confirmed that it cannot currently determine the date of the announcement of the ruling, stressing that the decision will not be issued on the day of the hearing.

CAS warns against unofficial information

The Court of Arbitration for Sport warned against the circulation of inaccurate information online regarding the case, affirming that only statements issued through its official channels are authoritative.

The court said it will publish any announcement related to this file on its official website, calling on accredited media to direct their inquiries to the court's press office.

CAS had issued a statement earlier in July, in which it denied announcing a ruling in favor of Senegal, following rumors that spread on fan platforms at the time.

Africa awaits the final decision

African fans are awaiting the decision of the sports court, which will determine whether to uphold the CAF decision issued on March 17 or to cancel it definitively.

The Appeals Committee of CAF had overturned the first-instance decision, after deciding to strip the Senegal team of the title and award it administratively to the Moroccan team, due to the events that occurred during the final.

The decision came after the Senegalese players temporarily left the field during extra time, protesting a penalty awarded to Morocco, which was then taken and missed, before Senegal later scored a goal through Pape Gueye.

Despite Morocco failing to convert the penalty kick into a goal, the African Confederation decided to consider Morocco the winner by a 3-0 administrative score due to the violation committed by the Senegal team according to the Appeals Committee's decision.

The Senegalese Football Federation categorically rejected the decision, considering it 'unjust' and describing it as 'administrative theft,' before officially filing an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to recover its right to the title.

The CAS hearing will be decisive in determining the fate of the tournament, as matters will lead to one of two scenarios: either upholding the CAF decision and keeping Morocco as the champion of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, or canceling the punishment and recognizing the on-field result and awarding the title to Senegal.