The Senegalese Football Federation has dismissed widespread reports claiming that the Court of Arbitration for Sport has frozen the ruling of the Confederation of African Football Appeals Committee over the controversial 2025 AFCON final decision.
In a clarification issued via Senegalese broadcaster RTS, an executive committee member of the federation, Mbaye, stated that no such ruling has been made by CAS, urging the public to disregard circulating claims.
“People will hear a lot of false information, but they should be patient and wait for official statements from the Senegalese Football Federation,” he stressed.
Appeal yet to be officially filed
Mbaye also confirmed that Senegal had not yet formally submitted its appeal to CAS at the time of the reports but is set to do so imminently.
“We will submit the appeal to the court today, Tuesday, and we will begin the necessary procedures,” he revealed.
This marks the official start of Senegal’s legal challenge against CAF’s decision to overturn the AFCON 2025 final result.
Race against the deadline
The federation is currently finalizing its legal documentation, gathering evidence and structuring its arguments ahead of the March 27 deadline for filing the appeal.
The case is expected to center on:
- The legitimacy of CAF’s interpretation of match regulations
- Whether Senegal’s temporary walk-off constitutes a forfeiture
- The authority of on-field decisions versus post-match rulings
Background to the controversy
The dispute stems from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, where Senegal national football team were initially declared winners on the pitch.
However, CAF’s Appeals Committee later overturned that result, awarding a 3–0 forfeit victory to Morocco national football team, citing Senegal’s brief walk-off during the match as a regulatory breach.
What happens next
With no “freeze” in place, CAF’s ruling technically still stands until CAS intervenes.
Senegal’s upcoming appeal will now be crucial in determining:
- Whether the AFCON 2025 title decision is upheld or overturned
- If additional sanctions could follow
- How future disciplinary cases are handled in African football
For now, the federation is urging calm as it prepares to take the battle to CAS—where the final verdict could reshape not just this case, but the credibility framework of African football governance.
