Rabat – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has officially announced the denial of the fast-track appeal regarding the AFCON 2025 final, signaling a significant delay in the resolution of the dispute.
According to investigative journalist Romain Molina, CAS will postpone the final verdict until after the 2026 World Cup in the United States, a move that ensures the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the tournament will persist through the summer.
“As expected, there will be no fast-track procedure at the TAS, and the verdict of Morocco – Senegal will be known after the World Cup,” Molina confirmed on X.
Senegal filed the appeal to overturn the CAF Appeal Board’s decision, which, in a strict application of Article 84 of the CAF Regulations, declared the Senegalese National Team to have forfeited the match.
This ruling recorded the final result as a 3-0 win for Morocco, despite the match originally concluding 1-0 for Senegal following a dramatic 17-minute walk-off triggered by the referee’s decision to award the Atlas Lions a penalty in the dying minutes of the game.
CAS’s verdict is largely expected to come after this summer’s World Cup.
But whatever the eventual outcome, this case represents a definitive crossroads for African sport as the CAS verdict will either restore the on-pitch result or cement Morocco’s championship title, finally concluding a saga that has completely gripped the continent’s football community.
