Rabat – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ordered the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) to submit its defense brief by May 7.

This procedural deadline marks the next critical phase in the legal dispute surrounding the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which remains under judicial review in Lausanne.

According to Africa Foot, the injunction follows a formal appeal lodged on March 25 by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF). Senegal is seeking to overturn the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) previous ruling, which awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory by forfeit. That decision was triggered after the Senegalese squad abandoned the pitch during the final match to protest a legitimate Moroccan penalty.

Under the statutes of the Code of Sports-Related Arbitration, the FRMF now has until the end of the first week of May to present its counterarguments. Moroccan legal representatives are expected to defend the CAF disciplinary committee’s original verdict, arguing that the abandonment of the match justified the forfeit victory and the subsequent crowning of the Atlas Lions.

The FSF, meanwhile, remains steadfast in its claim that the officiating during the final was fundamentally flawed, necessitating a CAS intervention to either replay the match or annul the forfeit. While CAS proceedings are typically conducted privately, a final hearing date is expected to be scheduled shortly after the Moroccan defense is reviewed.

This case has drawn significant attention across the continent, as the outcome will finalize the records for the 2025 tournament. For now, the Moroccan side remains the official titleholder and will participate in the 2026 Fifa World Cup as the Afcon 2025 winners, pending the final judicial award from the world’s highest sports tribunal.

Morocco world news.com