CAS confirms no appeal filed by Senegal as April 7 deadline looms in AFCON final dispute

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed that it has not received a formal appeal from the Senegalese Football Federation regarding the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, contrary to recent media speculation.

In an official statement, the Swiss-based arbitration body said no appeal documents have been filed, clarifying that it is not currently reviewing any case related to the controversial match. The confirmation comes amid growing debate across the continent over a Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruling that overturned the original outcome of the final.

Senegal has publicly rejected CAF’s decision, asserting that it does not reflect the result of the match and signaling its intention to challenge the verdict through legal channels. However, with no formal submission made to CAS, the legal process has yet to begin.

According to CAS procedures, the Senegalese Football Federation has until April 7, 2026, to file an appeal. Should it fail to meet this deadline, CAF’s ruling would become final and binding, effectively ending any possibility of a legal challenge.

The situation has been marked by conflicting signals from Senegal’s football administration. While some officials had previously suggested that legal steps were already underway, CAS has confirmed that no such filing has been received.

The core of the dispute lies in CAF’s decision to overturn the final’s initial result under circumstances that have drawn sharp criticism from football stakeholders, analysts, and fans across Africa.

With the deadline fast approaching, attention now turns to whether the Senegalese federation will proceed with a formal appeal. If an appeal is filed, CAS is expected to conduct a thorough review of the events surrounding the final, including adherence to competition regulations and procedural fairness.

The outcome of the case could have significant implications, not only for the final result of the tournament but also for football governance in Africa, particularly regarding dispute resolution and the enforcement of competition rules.