The Swiss city of Lausanne witnessed a decisive hearing today, Thursday, before the International Sports Court, as part of the ongoing dispute over the fate of the 2025 Africa Cup final between the Morocco and Senegal national teams. This dispute, which has lasted several months since the controversial final match, has now entered a sports litigation phase to reach a final solution that satisfies all parties and puts an end to the speculations surrounding the case.
The deliberations during the session focused on the legal defenses presented by both sides, awaiting the decision of the arbitration panel assigned to review the case. Mathieu Reeb, the Director General of the International Sports Court, explained that the arguments lasted several hours, according to a schedule previously agreed upon by representatives of the teams, the African Football Confederation, and their legal teams. Reeb confirmed that the session was planned to end in the afternoon, with the possibility of extending until 4 PM at most.
The arbitration panel overseeing this case consists of three judges, chaired by the French Gerald Simon, alongside the German Ulrich Haas and the Italian Luigi Fumagalli. The panel’s task is to thoroughly examine all data and legal defenses before issuing the final ruling that will settle the controversy surrounding the Africa Cup final. However, Reeb firmly denied the possibility of issuing a ruling immediately after the hearing, noting that the decision will not be ready the same day and may take days or even weeks, especially if the panel decides to issue a detailed judgment including precise legal reasoning.
This means that Moroccan and Senegalese fans will wait longer to know the fate of the 2025 Africa Cup final title. The case, which attracted widespread attention in both Morocco and Senegal and in African football in general, followed the CAF Appeal Committee awarding the title to Morocco after the Senegalese team withdrew from the match. The Director General of the International Sports Court emphasized that the court is aware of the significance of this case and seeks to issue a well-reasoned decision as soon as possible.
