New evidence presented to CAS in Morocco vs Senegal final case

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final case has seen a new development, as the Moroccan Football Federation's defense team submitted additional documents and evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) during a hearing held today in Lausanne, Switzerland, to address the ongoing dispute between Morocco and Senegal regarding the identity of the tournament champion.

The controversy stems from the final that brought the two national teams together at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on January 18, which ended with Senegal winning by a goal scored by Pape Gueye against Yassine Bounou. However, the debate continued after the match, following the Moroccan side's protest regarding the departure of Senegalese players from the pitch after a penalty was awarded to Morocco.

The Moroccan Football Federation lodged a complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), before the Appeals Committee of the continental federation issued a decision on March 17, 2026, declaring the Senegal national team withdrawn from the match and confirming their loss by three goals to nil, with the title awarded to the Moroccan national team.

The dispute did not stop there, as the Senegalese federation has resorted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to challenge the Appeals Committee's decision, bringing the case into a new phase of the legal process during the hearing being held in Lausanne today.

Ahead of the session, reports close to the Moroccan Football Federation indicated that the legal team tasked with defending the Moroccan side submitted a supplementary file including testimonies from international experts in sports arbitration and legal specialists, along with high-definition video recordings and other documents described by the source as important and confidential.

According to the same sources, the new file focuses on supporting Morocco's position regarding considering what happened in the final as a complete withdrawal from the match, based on the details of the Senegal national team's players leaving the pitch and the duration of the stoppage before their return.

The Moroccan legal team insists on applying the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, arguing that the events witnessed in the final meet the legal conditions necessary to consider the Senegal national team as withdrawn, thus upholding the Appeals Committee's decision to award a 3-0 loss and grant the title to Morocco.

In contrast, the Court of Arbitration for Sport continues to study the case and listen to the arguments of all parties before making its final decision regarding the dispute that still casts a shadow over the identity of the champion of the last edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

It is still unclear whether the court will issue its ruling following today's session on Thursday, or if it will postpone the announcement of the verdict to a later date, leaving the fate of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 title hanging in the balance until the case is definitively resolved.