Morocco-Senegal dispute over CAN 2025 final highlights complexities of sports law
via Le Matin10 min read
The dispute stemming from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal has evolved beyond a mere sporting disagreement, revealing the intricate rules, procedures, and principles that govern international sports law. During a recent meeting in Rabat organized by the lawyers' sector of the Party of Progress and Socialism, legal experts offered a detailed legal analysis of the case. They emphasized that sports law is an autonomous field, structured by its own rules, bodies, and mechanisms, as highlighted by Me El Arbi Fendi, coordinator of the lawyers' sector and a member of the Sports Arbitration Chamber. Fendi stressed the significant legal implications for Morocco, necessitating a thorough legal review beyond the match itself. Me Tarik Mossadak, a lawyer in Casablanca, noted that sport is now a multi-billion-dollar industry with enormous economic and political stakes, making sports justice distinct from state justice. This distinct system operates under its own normative framework, known as lex sportiva, which transcends national legal systems. However, Me Issam El Ibrahimi, a lawyer in Casablanca and president of the Mediterranean Center for Studies and Research in Sports Law, underscored that decisions by sports federations must adhere to the principle of legality, respect defense rights, and ensure fair trials. Me Taha El Meskouri, a sports law specialist in Rabat, explained the hierarchical structure of sports rules, including CAF statutes, disciplinar
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
Denza, a premium automotive brand from BYD, has launched in Morocco through Auto Nejma, introducing four distinct models and advanced flash charging technology. The brand originated in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Daimler, combining Chinese expertise in batteries and electric powertrains with German engineering and luxury. BYD fully acquired Denza in 2024, leading to its international expansion, including its arrival in Morocco. The Moroccan lineup features four models: the B5, a plug-in hybrid SUV starting at 629,900 DH, offering 80 km electric range and 780 km combined; the B8, a larger family plug-in hybrid SUV priced from 869,900 DH, with 100 km electric range and over 820 km combined; the D9, a premium plug-in hybrid minivan starting at 889,900 DH, providing 210 km electric range and up to 950 km combined, equipped with luxury features like heated, ventilated, and massaging seats, individual tablets, and a refrigerator; and the Z9 GT, a grand touring model available as a plug-in hybrid from 1,075,000 DH 776 hp, 203 km electric range or a fully electric variant from 1,119,000 DH over 1,156 hp, 600 km WLTP range. A fifth model, the Denza Z supercar, is also announced. A key innovation is the Flash Charging technology, which allows for up to 500 km of range to be recovered in just five minutes, with charging power reaching 1,500 kW. Morocco is the first country in Africa and the Arab world to receive this technology, and early Denza customers will receive free ac
Must ReadThe World Bank Group and Morocco have jointly adopted a new Country Partnership Framework CPF for 2026-2035, outlining a ten-year strategy to transition Morocco's economy from public investment-driven growth to one fueled by private investment, innovation, and job creation. This long-term vision aligns with Morocco's New Development Model, focusing on enhancing competitiveness, improving human capital, reducing regional disparities, and increasing climate resilience. Nadia Fettah, Morocco's Minister of Economy and Finance, highlighted that the framework is structuring, aligning public and private financing, knowledge, and reforms around a shared vision for the Kingdom's future, with job creation for youth and women at its core. Ousmane Dione, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan region, noted Morocco's remarkable progress but identified employment as a key challenge, citing a 37% youth unemployment rate in 2024 and a low female labor force participation rate of around 19%. The CPF addresses these issues through three pillars: strengthening business competitiveness by improving the business environment, stimulating competition, and facilitating SME access to finance; developing more inclusive, connected, and resilient territories by reducing regional disparities and improving infrastructure; and investing in human capital through support for education, health, and social protection reforms. The strategy emphasizes making the pr
Must ReadSpeaking at the fourth African Economic Symposium AES organized by the Policy Center for the New South PCNS, Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour highlighted that Africa's primary challenge is to transform its abundant resources into concrete economic development through industrial production, rather than merely exporting raw materials. He noted that Africa possesses nearly 60% of the world's arable land, a young population, and strategic resources like cobalt, oil, gas, and phosphates, yet much of the continent still faces poverty and infrastructure deficits. Mezzour emphasized that the issue is not Africa's potential, but why it has been slow to convert assets into tangible growth. He cited Morocco's experience, where economic opening and investments in infrastructure, such as port, road, and logistics networks, were crucial for industrialization, even if they incurred significant initial costs and did not yield immediate returns. The development of projects like Tanger Med and the automotive industry, now Morocco's leading export sector, demonstrate how strategic, long-term state investments can create conditions for new economic activities and job creation. The Minister also stressed the importance of local transformation of natural resources, using phosphates in Morocco as an example, where the country moved beyond extraction to develop processing capabilities and fertilizer production. Finally, Mezzour discussed how artificial intelligence could reduce technologi