AFCON 2025: Clotilde Coly confident ahead of the CAS verdict

The dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final is entering its decisive stage, with Senegal’s appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2026. Senegal’s sports minister, Djireye Clotilde Coly, said the country had prepared its case and would now leave the outcome to the tribunal. The hearing concerns the decision that changed the status of the final after the match had ended with Senegal ahead of Morocco.

Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 in the final, according to the account of the match contained in the case background. The result initially placed the trophy with Senegal. The Confederation of African Football later decided to award the trophy to Morocco after considering an appeal from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. That decision led the Senegalese Football Federation to challenge the ruling before the CAS.

Coly addressed the case during an interview with Radio France Internationale on October 5, three days before the scheduled hearing. Asked about Senegal’s approach to the proceedings, she did not disclose the arguments in detail. Instead, she said that the tribunal would decide the matter and stressed that Senegal had prepared its file properly. Her comments offered the clearest public statement from the sports ministry as the hearing approached.

The minister’s position combines confidence in Senegal’s preparation with caution about the tribunal’s role. She did not announce a result, set out a legal argument or suggest what decision the CAS should reach. Her message was that the Senegalese side had completed the work required for its appeal and that the next step belonged to the sporting court.

The case places the final result and the ownership of the AFCON 2025 trophy at the centre of an unresolved dispute between Senegal, Morocco and CAF. On the field, Senegal’s 1-0 victory provided the original sporting conclusion. CAF’s later decision following the Moroccan federation’s appeal created a second outcome, one that the Senegalese federation has contested through the international arbitration process.

The timing gives the hearing particular importance for Senegalese football. The match itself took place in the 2025 AFCON competition, but the question over the champion remains active in October 2026. Until the CAS examines the appeal and issues its decision, the competing positions remain unchanged: Senegal relies on its challenge to CAF’s ruling, while the CAF decision stands as the action being contested.

The available details do not disclose the specific grounds of the Senegalese appeal or the evidence included in its file. Coly’s statement therefore provides no indication of how the tribunal may assess the dispute. It does, however, confirm that the Senegalese authorities regard the case as ready for examination and that the minister is maintaining a measured public line while the judicial process runs its course.

The hearing is due to take place on October 8, with a verdict expected in the days that follow. That decision will determine how the controversy surrounding the AFCON 2025 final proceeds after Senegal’s victory over Morocco, CAF’s subsequent trophy decision and the Senegalese Football Federation’s appeal. For now, Coly’s assurance that the dossier is well prepared is Senegal’s latest public statement before the tribunal takes over the case.