Senegal has formally lodged an appeal. One week after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced its decision to strip Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations 2025 title, due to their team’s departure from the field during the final against Morocco, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed this Wednesday that it had “registered an appeal from the Senegalese Federation.”

This appeal was widely anticipated. Without surprise, Senegal is seeking the annulment of CAF’s decision and the reinstatement of their title, which they secured on the pitch in extra time thanks to a goal from Pape Gueye. The final itself was marked by a significant controversy late in the match when the referee awarded a penalty to Morocco, ultimately missed by Brahim Diaz. In a visible act of protest, the Senegalese squad then temporarily exited the field before returning a few minutes later.

“An arbitral panel of the CAS will be appointed to rule on this matter, following which a procedural calendar will be established,” the institution stated in a press release. No hearing date has yet been fixed.

“The CAS is perfectly equipped to resolve this type of dispute, with the assistance of specialized and independent arbitrators,” affirmed Matthieu Reeb, Director General of the CAS. “We are aware that teams and fans wish to know the final decision as quickly as possible, and we will ensure that the arbitral procedure can be conducted in the shortest possible time, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair trial.”