Former Confederation of African Football (CAF) disciplinary chief Raymond Hack has said Senegal are likely to succeed in their appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, following the controversial decision to strip them of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title.
Senegal were initially crowned champions after defeating Morocco 1-0 in the final, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal in extra time.
However, CAF’s Appeals Board later overturned the result, ruling that Senegal had breached tournament regulations due to a 17-minute walk-off during the match.
As a result, Morocco were awarded a 3-0 victory by default and officially declared champions, a decision that has sparked widespread debate across African football.
The Senegalese Football Federation has strongly rejected the ruling, describing it as “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable,” and has confirmed plans to challenge the outcome at CAS.
The federation has been given 10 days to file its appeal.
Hack, who previously chaired CAF’s disciplinary structures, believes the case could be overturned once it reaches the independent legal body.
Speaking in an interview with sports journalist Robert Marawa, he pointed to the authority of the match referee as central to the argument.
“If I was dealing with it [at CAS], my decision will be very clear,” Hack said.
“The referee is the only person who can bring a game to an end, he brought the game to an end at the end of the extra-time and the winner was Senegal.
[So Senegal remain champions] yes.”
The original final, played in Rabat, was overshadowed by controversy when Senegalese players briefly refused to continue after a stoppage-time penalty was awarded to Morocco.
Following a delay of approximately 17 minutes, the match resumed, with Brahim Diaz seeing his penalty saved before Gueye scored the winning goal in extra time.
CAF later ruled that Senegal’s temporary withdrawal constituted a violation of tournament rules on forfeiture, leading to the reversal of the result.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe has responded to the backlash by reiterating the organisation’s commitment to fairness and equal treatment of all member associations.
His comments came amid allegations of corruption and favouritism following the decision.
Motsepe stated that CAF would respect and abide by whatever verdict is reached by CAS, as the legal process now takes centre stage in resolving the dispute.
Meanwhile, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation has expressed satisfaction with the ruling, backing the application of the competition’s regulations.
The case now appears set to move into a new phase, with CAS expected to review both the interpretation of the rules and the circumstances surrounding the match.
The outcome could have significant implications not only for the two nations involved but also for governance and disciplinary consistency in African football.
For Senegal, the appeal represents an opportunity to reclaim a title they won on the pitch.
