Senegal rejects CAF ruling overturning AFCON title, to appeal at CAS

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) says it has begun the process of appealing CAF’s decision that stripped the country of the 2025 AFCON title and declared Morocco champions.

In a landmark ruling on Tuesday, the CAF Appeals Board decided that the Senegal national team had forfeited the AFCON final after several players walked off the pitch to the dressing room in protest against a referee’s decision.

The ruling stated that Senegal breached Articles 82 and 84 of AFCON regulations by staging a walkout during the match.

The decision came while addressing Morocco’s appeal challenging an earlier verdict by CAF’s Disciplinary Committee, which had dismissed the request to overturn the result.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Senegalese FA said the Appeals Board’s decision “discredits African football”.

The federation added that it will “initiate an appeal as soon as possible before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne”.

“The Senegalese Football Federation denounces this unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision, which discredits African football,” the statement reads.

“To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the federation will initiate an appeal as soon as possible before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.

“The FSF reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice and will keep the public informed of developments in this matter.”

The CAF Appeals Board is a nine-member panel led by Roli Daibo Harriman, a Nigerian judge.