The court director expects the final decision to be issued after a few weeksThe Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) opened its hearing on Thursday morning in the Swiss city of Lausanne to consider the appeal lodged by the Senegalese Football Federation against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations against Morocco.Senegal had beaten Morocco 1-0 in the final last January. CAF then handed the title to Morocco, ruling that the Lions of Teranga players had withdrawn in protest against Congolese referee Jean Jacques Ndala’s decision to award a penalty to the Atlas Lions.Representatives of all three parties, Senegal, Morocco and CAF, are taking part in the hearing alongside a lawyer for each side, in a session that could run until four o’clock in the afternoon local Lausanne time (05:00 Mecca time, 02:00 Rabat time).Mathieu Reeb, Director General of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, confirmed before the session that three professors make up the arbitration panel: Frenchman Gérald Simon, German Ulrich Haas, and Italian Luigi Fumagalli.Speaking to the media as reported by French network RMC from Lausanne, the CAS director said: “The session began with the attendance of the representatives of all parties, Senegal, Morocco and the Confederation of African Football, and all parties are represented by lawyers. We have a relatively strict timetable, which was set in agreement with the parties themselves.”He added: “The hearing is supposed to continue until three or half past three or four o’clock in the afternoon (Lausanne time), and I do not think it will go beyond four.”No decision today or tomorrowReeb explained that the ruling will not come the moment the hearing ends. The panel needs time to study the file and set out the decision and its legal grounds.He said: “Our aim is to issue the decision as quickly as possible after the hearing.”Reeb continued: “I do not think the decision will be issued today or tomorrow, and I am almost certain of that. As for the next stage, we may need to wait until this afternoon to obtain additional information from the court, so that I can give you more details.”He went on: “But the matter may take a few days or even a few weeks, if the arbitrators want to prepare a full decision that includes the legal grounds.”A message to the fans of Morocco and SenegalMindful of the long wait to learn the fate of a case that has stirred wide controversy since the final, Reeb was keen to address the fans of both teams.He said: “I know very well that the wait for the Moroccan and Senegalese fans, as well as all African supporters, has gone on for a long time.”He added: “We set the timetable of the proceedings in agreement with all the parties concerned, and the schedule of today’s session was also determined by consensus among all the parties.”Reeb closed his remarks by stressing that CAS, as the last body to adjudicate in matters of sports justice, wants to close the file as quickly as possible.He said: “The aim of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as the last body to adjudicate in matters of sports justice, is to issue a reasoned decision as soon as possible after today’s session.”A decisive stage in the fight over the identity of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations champion is now under way. Morocco and Senegal wait to see whether CAS will uphold CAF’s decision or overturn it and reopen the fate of the title.
