Morocco and Senegal face TAS on Thursday.

All eyes will turn to Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday, where the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hear the appeal filed by the Senegalese Football Federation against the decision that awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, following the exit of several "Lions of Teranga" players from the pitch during the final match.

This session is of great significance for Moroccan football, as Morocco relies on an official decision from the Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which deemed the departure of Senegalese players from the pitch a violation of Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, resulting in Senegal being declared the loser by three goals to nil.

The arbitration panel, which includes Frenchman Gérald Simon, Italian Luigi Fumagalli, and German Ulrich Haas, is expected to listen to representatives from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, the Senegalese Federation, and CAF in a closed session in Lausanne.

The final on January 18 in Rabat witnessed unusual events when a large number of Senegalese players left the pitch in protest against a penalty awarded to Morocco in extra time.

The match was halted for about fifteen minutes before the Senegalese players returned, during which Ibrahim Diaz missed the Moroccan penalty, while the Senegalese team managed to score a goal during extra time, effectively ending the match with a score of 1-0.

Nevertheless, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation approached the relevant authorities in CAF, requesting the application of the competition rules regarding leaving the pitch before the end of regular time.

On March 17, the CAF Appeals Committee ruled that Senegal was to be considered defeated by a score of 3-0, based on Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations, leading to Morocco's victory.

Thus, Morocco finds itself before CAS defending a decision already issued by the highest appellate body in CAF, while the Senegalese Federation seeks to overturn it and restore the result as it ended on the pitch.

The Senegalese side bases its appeal, according to circulating information about the case, on the principle of finality of decisions made by the referee regarding events related to the game, in addition to the referee allowing the match to resume after the return of the Senegalese players.

Sports law experts believe that the upcoming ruling will not only determine the champion of the Africa Cup of Nations but could also set a precedent for how to handle cases of players leaving the pitch in protest against refereeing decisions in the future.

They argue that overturning the penalty imposed by the CAF Appeals Committee, without providing a legal justification that distinguishes the uniqueness of this case, could be understood as a precedent allowing teams to pressure referees by disrupting matches and creating chaos in stadiums, while confirming the decision would reinforce the principle of respecting the referee's authority and resorting to legal procedures for objections instead of imposing the situation on the pitch.