The CAS hearing ends before the scheduled time: when will the Morocco and Senegal case be decided?
Morocco's representatives remain silent after the end of the session
The hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case involving Morocco, Senegal and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ended on Thursday afternoon, around 15 minutes before the time set by Matthieu Reeb, the court's director general.
Proceedings had begun at the court's headquarters in the Swiss city of Lausanne this morning, with representatives of all three parties present: Morocco, Senegal and CAF.
Before kick-off, the court's director had suggested the hearing could run until 3pm local time (04:00 Mecca time, 01:00 Rabat time). It wrapped up slightly earlier, according to French network RMC.
The same outlet stressed that the early finish offers no clue as to the awaited decision from the arbitration panel, which is made up of three arbitrators.
Uncertainty remains over the fate of the case, with everyone waiting on the Court of Arbitration for Sport to rule on the appeal lodged over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.
Morocco maintains its silence
According to RMC, Morocco's representatives left the Court of Arbitration for Sport once the hearing had ended, saying nothing to the media.
Every possibility stays open until the panel delivers its official ruling.
When could the final decision be issued?
Both a previous statement from the international court on 30 September and the director's remarks this morning make it unlikely that the final ruling will come today.
Matthieu Reeb, director general of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, confirmed this morning that the panel would not rule immediately after the hearing. He explained that the arbitrators need time to study the file and prepare both the decision and its legal grounds.
He said: "Our aim is to issue the decision as quickly as possible after the hearing."
He continued: "I don't think the decision will be issued today or tomorrow, and I'm almost certain of that, but it may take a few days or even a few weeks, if the arbitrators want to prepare a complete decision that includes the legal grounds."
