Mady Touré versus Abdoulaye Fall: the ultimatum from Swiss lawyer Leuba, the scathing response from Me Kabou

The legal battle surrounding the election of Abdoulaye Fall as head of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) is far from over. While the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the decision that dismissed Mady Touré's appeal and referred the case back to the Appeals Committee, the two sides offer diametrically opposed interpretations of this ruling. In a joint interview with L'Observateur, the lawyers for both parties expressed their determination for the next stage.

Attorney Jean-Samuel Leuba: "This is a first victory"

For Jean-Samuel Leuba, Mady Touré's lawyer, the CAS decision represents a first victory. He believes the arbitration body acknowledged that the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) had made an error in dismissing his client's appeal. "The CAS told the commission: 'You must address this legitimate claim,'" he explains. The lawyer warns that the case will not end with this new appeal: "If the electoral appeals commission doesn't do its job, we will return to the Court of Arbitration for Sport," he cautions.

Attorney Patrick Kabou: "This is a slap in the face for Mady Touré"

Abdoulaye Fall's lawyer, Patrick Kabou, offers a completely different interpretation of the ruling. He considers the case's dismissal "a slap in the face" for Mady Touré. According to him, Touré's camp committed a procedural error by failing to refer the matter to the Electoral Commission—which he presents as the sole competent body for electoral disputes—within the time limits stipulated by the FSF statutes.

Mr. Kabou thus affirms that he intends to contest Mady Touré's approach again before the Appeals Commission: "If Mady Touré is smart, he will save his energy. If he doesn't understand the law, he will continue to multiply appeals," says the interlocutor of the Groupe Futurs Médias daily newspaper, assuring that he will again plead the inadmissibility of the case.