Presentation of the AFCON trophy: Moroccan lawyers appoint a bailiff at the Stade de France

Judicial pressure is mounting around Senegal’s triumph. The Moroccan Lawyers’ Club has announced that it has appointed a bailiff to officially record the presentation of the AFCON trophy at the Stade de France.

The tug of war over the 2025 AFCON title has taken a new turn. On Saturday, March 28, the Moroccan Lawyers’ Club took action. Its president, Mourad Elajouti, announced that a bailiff had been appointed to go to the Stade de France in order to officially record Senegal’s presentation of the trophy. The bailiff will draw up an official report with significant legal weight.

"The bailiff will act as a privileged witness [...] He will note the identity of the organizers, the logos used, and the actual display of the trophy," he specified.

A strategy aimed at FIFA and CAS

This document is far from trivial. According to Mourad Elajouti, it will be sent to both FIFA’s ethics and disciplinary committees, and included in the file under review by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

For the Moroccan jurist, the ceremony planned in Saint-Denis is a major strategic blunder and an act of institutional insubordination. According to him, these elements could weigh heavily in the CAS arbitrators’ analysis.

Senegal stands firm

Despite this mounting pressure, the Senegalese Football Federation is not backing down. The trophy presentation ceremony will go ahead as planned, ahead of the friendly match against Peru.

Set to take place in a sold-out Stade de France, the event will unfold before nearly 70,000 fans—a testament to the undiminished public excitement despite the controversy.

The Lions of Teranga will also take to the pitch wearing their two-star kit, a proud symbol of their two claimed titles.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.