Senegal's lawyer: We are 200% confident of resolving the Africa final case
Great confidence from the Senegalese side
Patrick Kabou, one of the members of Senegal's defence team, is brimming with optimism over his country's chances in the appeal lodged with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), in the dispute with Morocco over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title. The quality of the defence team and the legal arguments on the table, he stressed, give Senegal strong reasons to hope for a ruling in its favour.
Kabou sat among the Senegalese contingent at the CAS hearing, alongside the duo Seydou Diagne and Aly Fall.
A lawyer and research professor, Kabou made the remarks during an interview with Senegalese Radio and Television (RTS), after the hearing held two days ago, on Thursday, in the Swiss city of Lausanne. The arbitration panel has yet to rule on the Senegalese appeal against CAF's decision to award the title to Morocco.
As reported by the Senegalese website "Seneweb", Kabou explained that he could not go into the details of the case as a lawyer involved in it, but he offered his assessment as a research professor and praised the work done by the Senegalese defence team led by Seydou Diagne.
Our chances of winning are 200%
The selection of the defence team was no accident, the Senegalese lawyer stressed, pointing out that the lawyers on the case have considerable experience in proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Kabou said: "When we see the names of the lawyers who have taken on this file, we feel confident. They are among the names we constantly come across in the corridors of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and they are lawyers well-versed in procedure."
He also praised the legal brief drawn up by Diagne's team, calling it cohesive, precise and clear in laying out Senegal's demands and arguments.
Spelling out just how optimistic he feels, he added: "When we look at the brief prepared by the team led by Diagne, our chances, if I were to express them as a percentage, amount to 200%."
Even so, the ruling rests entirely with the arbitration panel, which will deliver its verdict after studying both parties' pleas and submissions.
A call to settle the case quickly
Beyond the legal arguments, Kabou said he hoped the dispute would be settled quickly, with Senegalese fans waiting anxiously on the final decision over the title.
He said confidently: "We must continue to keep our cup, because it has already become our property. And if possible, we must find another way to celebrate it, after we celebrated it before."
Kabou had also taken on the defence of 18 Senegalese fans detained in Morocco after the final.
His words reflect the Senegalese defence team's confidence in its position, but they settle nothing. Both parties now await the CAS decision that will determine the fate of the appeal over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title.
Senegalese press reports say CAS is expected to issue its ruling between 18 and 22 October this month.
