TAS Decision on Morocco-Senegal Legal Battle Expected by Late November
In Morocco, the anticipation is building as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) prepares to announce its verdict concerning the legal dispute between Morocco and Senegal related to the controversial outcome of the CAN 2025 final. The TAS revealed on Monday that a decision will be forthcoming by the end of November 2026, almost a year after the match that sparked this unprecedented legal battle.
The TAS has informed that the arbitration panel has already commenced deliberations, which are currently ongoing. They have expressed their intention to issue a comprehensive ruling, complete with legal reasoning, known as the "TAS award". According to a statement from the Lausanne-based tribunal, this process is expected to take several weeks, with the final ruling eagerly awaited by the end of November.
The dispute traces back to the dramatic events of January 18, when Senegal was crowned African champions after defeating Morocco 1-0 in a match that was marred by chaos. Controversy erupted when a penalty was awarded to Morocco during injury time, which was ultimately missed by Brahim Diaz. Following this, a significant portion of the Senegalese team left the field in protest and returned only after a quarter of an hour, leading to the unprecedented scenario where a team was stripped of their title won on the pitch.
Following this incident, the Moroccan Football Federation appealed the decision, and on March 17, the CAF's Appeals Body ruled Senegal's victory as a forfeit, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory based on the regulations that prohibit leaving the pitch without the referee's permission. In response, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) turned to the TAS, denouncing the situation as “the most blatant administrative robbery in the history of our sport.”
As reported by latele.ch.
