Senegal and Morocco will appear before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday in the dispute over the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The two sides have adopted sharply contrasting approaches, with Senegal publicly presenting an international group of prominent lawyers while Morocco has kept details of its defence largely confidential.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has made little attempt to conceal its legal strategy. On 26 March in Paris, it brought together its lawyers for a strongly worded news conference aimed at outlining the arguments behind its appeal to CAS.
The event included allegations of an “administrative heist”, “corruption” and an “attack against the federation, football and sporting discipline”. Six lawyers were either introduced or addressed the media: batonnier Aly Fall, Me Seydou Diagne, Me Moussa Sarr, Spain’s Juan de Dios Crespo Perez, Me Serge Vittoz and former Paris Bar president Pierre-Olivier Sur.
The group combines Senegalese and international expertise, with experience across different areas of law. Crespo Perez is particularly well known for his work in sports law and, through his firm, has handled more than 500 cases before CAS. Sur brings experience of international criminal proceedings.
By assembling that team, the FSF has signalled its intention to take the case beyond the confines of African football. The tone of the Paris conference was consistent with that approach, presenting the dispute as an issue of wider importance to the sport.
Juan de Dios Crespo Perez said: “It is not only the integrity of African football, but the integrity of the football world” that is at stake before CAS.
Morocco keep legal strategy under wraps
The Moroccan side has taken a considerably less visible route. Few public details have emerged about the precise make-up of the defence representing the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), which has chosen to operate with greater discretion.
The limited information reported by Medias24 nevertheless points to a structure led by the Moroccan law firm Naciri & Associes. The defence has also been strengthened by a lawyer with experience of CAS proceedings in Lausanne.
That contrasts with Senegal’s decision to publicise both its advisers and its wider legal strategy. Morocco appears instead to be placing the emphasis on its written case and the arguments submitted to the arbitrators, rather than on the make-up of its legal team.
The hearing on Thursday will begin to show which federation has assembled the stronger representation for the dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.