The ongoing dispute concerning the AFCON 2025 final, now under the purview of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), is poised to enter a new stage next month. Morocco, represented by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), has been informed of the final date to submit its defense brief.
While the AFCON 2025 final between Morocco and Senegal concluded dramatically, it sparked a more significant controversy. This contentious issue is now being managed by the CAS, and the case is advancing into a critical phase. The international judicial body has set May 7, 2026, as the deadline for the FRMF to present its defense.
The process has been accelerating since the CAS received the appeal filed by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF). Senegal is contesting the decision issued on March 17 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which had awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory by forfeit for the tournament title.
A specific timeline for the case has been laid out by CAS. The FRMF is required to file its defense memorandum by the May 7, 2026, deadline. The Moroccan federation’s president, Fouzi Lekjaa, has previously stated his confidence in their position, citing what he described as “convincing and documented” evidence, including official reports, referee accounts, and video footage.
However, a final resolution in the AFCON 2025 final affair is still some time away. As announced several weeks ago, the proceedings will not be fast-tracked as requested by Senegal. The motion for an expedited process was denied by the other parties, Morocco and CAF, who favored the standard procedure to ensure sufficient time for preparing their arguments.
As such, CAS is expected to follow its usual schedule. Although Senegal was hoping for a verdict before the 2026 World Cup, the estimated timeframe for a final ruling is between 9 and 12 months. Unless there are unexpected delays, the final decision will likely be delivered towards the end of the year.
