CAS Rejects Stay of Execution Request from King Faisal FC

CAS Decision Overview

On October 1, 2025, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed the appeal for a stay of execution submitted by King Faisal FC on September 1, 2025. This appeal pertained to the case of King Faisal FC versus the Ghana Football Association (GFA), which also involved challenges to the resolutions passed during the GFA Congress’s Third Term decision.

CAS clarified that the costs associated with this ruling will be addressed in the eventual award or other final conclusions of the arbitration process.

Appeal Details

King Faisal FC, referred to as the Appellant, lodged a Statement of Appeal with CAS regarding various resolutions made during the GFA’s Annual General Meeting on August 12, 2025. Alongside this appeal, King Faisal FC sought a stay of execution regarding the controversial decisions.

Rationale for CAS’s Decision

In a ruling articulated by Mrs. Corinne Schmidhauser, the President of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division, it was emphasized that “When evaluating whether to grant preliminary relief, the President of the Division or the Panel must consider whether such relief is essential to safeguard the applicant from irreparable damage, the probability of success on the merits of the claim, and whether the applicant’s interests surpass those of the respondent(s).”

Upon reviewing the case, CAS found that:

CONSIDERING that the Appellant has failed to demonstrate, let alone claim, that any of the three necessary criteria outlined in Article R37(5) of the Code are satisfied: (a) the existence of a risk of irreparable harm if the stay of execution is denied; (b) the likelihood of a successful outcome for the appeal; and (c) that their interest in obtaining the stay is greater than that of the Respondent; CONSIDERING that, given these observations and without compromising CAS’s authority to address this appeal, the request for a stay of execution submitted on September 1, 2025, is rejected.

Effective Date of GFA Decisions

The decisions made by the GFA Congress are effective from August 12, 2025, the date they were adopted in Prampram, and will continue to remain in force.

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