Patrick Vieira defends Senegal before AFCON verdict

Patrick Vieira has stood by Senegal’s victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final as the team awaits the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision. The Senegal coach said the formal verdict would not change his assessment of what happened during the match, insisting that Senegal had won on the field.

The TAS hearing is scheduled for Oct. 8, bringing the case closer to a decision after a delay that Vieira described as surprising. He did not indicate which outcome he expects, but said the length of the process had caught him off guard. His position remained unchanged regardless of the ruling that eventually emerges from the hearing.

Vieira also acknowledged that people outside the Senegal team may interpret the decision in different ways. For him, however, that reaction would be separate from the sporting conclusion he has already reached. He considers Senegal the winner of the final based on its performance during the game, whether or not the tribunal’s ruling changes the official position.

The comments place Vieira’s emphasis on the contest itself while the legal process continues. Senegal therefore enters the Oct. 8 hearing with its coach maintaining that the team’s achievement on the pitch stands independently of the decision still pending.