Senegal takes AFCON appeal to the CAS

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) will finally file its appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) this Tuesday, March 24 in Lausanne, according to an announcement made by one of its leaders, despite an official denial from the Swiss body at this stage.

According to Moussa Mbaye, a member of the Executive Committee of the FSF, the appeal against the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeals Committee, issued on March 17, has been officially filed. This statement was made Monday evening on Senegalese television, amidst a climate of intense media activity.

🎥Moussa Mbaye : « Le recours de la Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (@Fsfofficielle) sera déposé ce mardi 24 mars 2026 auprès du Tribunal Arbitral du Sport (TAS). »

🔗 Retrouvez l’intégralité de l’émission ici⤵️https://t.co/DNNaxrBMBI pic.twitter.com/seWVF6cOcW

— RTS SENEGAL (@RTS1_Senegal) March 23, 2026

“People will hear a lot of fake news, but they should patiently wait for official communications from the FSF. We will not act emotionally, we will act in a very cold and lucid manner to best defend the interests of Senegal,” he stated.

However, when contacted by us on Monday, March 23, CAS confirmed that it had not received any appeal from the FSF as of that date. The Lausanne-based institution stated that it would proactively communicate as soon as an appeal was registered, with an official announcement detailing the procedure.

This discrepancy between Senegalese communication and the position of the CAS maintains a gray area around the actual timetable of the appeal, leaving doubt as to its actual filing.

A legal earthquake after the Rabat final

At the heart of the dispute is the resounding decision of CAF, issued on March 17, following an appeal filed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). The Appeals Committee deemed the request admissible and well-founded, thus overturning the initial decision of the Disciplinary Committee.

In its analysis, the continental body considered that the withdrawal of the Senegalese players for more than a quarter of an hour during the final, played on January 18 at the Moulay Abdellah Complex in Rabat, constituted a violation of articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.

Verdict: Senegal is declared the loser by default (3-0), and the title is awarded to Morocco, giving the Atlas Lions a new continental crown.

The battle is now being fought on legal grounds

If the Senegalese appeal is indeed registered in the coming hours, the case will enter a new dimension: that of international arbitration. CAS will then have to rule on a case that is as sensitive as it is complex, involving regulatory interpretation, sporting responsibility, and political considerations.

Pending official confirmation from Lausanne, the matter remains contingent on a CAS ruling. One thing is certain: the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final continues to be decided off the pitch.

EDITOR NOTE: This article is translated from the original written in French by Omar Chraibi for Pan-Africa Football.