Paris celebrations spark legal debate over stripping Senegal of the “Cannes title”

The controversy related to the decision to withdraw the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title from the Senegalese national team and award it to the Moroccan national team has entered a new phase of legal escalation, after the Moroccan Lawyers Club announced that it had taken a practical step to document some of the facts related to the case, in the context of the ongoing dispute before international sports bodies.

In this context, the club revealed that it had appointed a judicial commissioner to examine the facts related to the celebration organized by the Senegalese national team, last Saturday at the “Stade de France” stadium in Paris. This came after his victory in a friendly match against the Peruvian national team with two unanswered goals, in his first appearance after the outbreak of the recent crisis related to the continental championship title.

Murad Al-Ajoouti, President of the Moroccan Lawyers Club, announced, through his official account on the “X” platform, that the club has appointed a judicial official to document the events that took place in the French stadium. He explained that the goal of this step is to “establish the facts in an official manner that may be relied upon later in the legal course of the case.”

The president of the Moroccan Lawyers Club confirmed that this move comes in the context of what he described as “institutional disobedience and a clear challenge to the authority of the decision issued,” considering that the celebration that took place in Paris may have an impact on the course of the case before the sports judicial bodies, especially if it is considered an indication of a lack of respect for the decision issued by the competent bodies.

The same spokesman added that the report that will be prepared by the Judicial Commissioner will be referred to competent international bodies. Among them is the Ethics Committee of FIFA, in the investigation room, in addition to the Disciplinary Committee.

He pointed out that the expected legal document will carry important evidentiary value, as the judicial commissioner is a reliable witness to the facts that were examined.

Al-Ajouti stressed that the report will include precise details; Among them are the identity of the organizers present, the slogans raised during the celebration, the way the trophy was displayed, and everything that could constitute material elements that might be used within the disciplinary or ethical process related to the case.

For his part, Rachid Lazraq, a legal expert and head of the North African Center for Studies, considered that the outcome of the file will remain linked to the decision that will be issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS), which is currently considering the appeal submitted against the decision issued by the Confederation of African Football.