The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has fixed October 8, 2026, for the hearing of Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to strip the country of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to hosts Morocco.
CAS confirmed on Friday that the hearing will take place at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, involving the Senegalese Football Federation, CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
The Senegalese Football Federation is seeking to overturn CAF’s ruling, restore the original result of the AFCON final and have Senegal officially recognised as the 2025 African champions.
Standard timeline
According to CAS, the case will follow the normal arbitration process because the parties did not agree to an expedited procedure.
“The Parties did not agree to expedite this procedure, which is therefore following a standard timeline according to CAS procedural rules,” the arbitration body said.
CAS added that the hearing date was agreed after consultations with all parties and will be held behind closed doors because none requested a public hearing.
The court also clarified that no verdict will be delivered immediately after the hearing.
“After the hearing, the Panel will start its deliberations. At this stage, CAS cannot state when a final decision will be rendered but it will not be on the day of the hearing,” the statement read.
CAS further advised that only information published through its official communication channels should be regarded as authoritative.
Background
The controversy stems from the AFCON 2025 final played in Rabat on January 18, 2026.
The match was interrupted late in regulation time after the referee awarded Morocco a penalty following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.
Senegal’s players left the pitch in protest and remained off the field for about 14 minutes before returning to continue the match.
Morocco failed to convert the penalty, with goalkeeper Édouard Mendy making the save, before Pape Gueye scored the winner in extra time to hand Senegal a 1-0 victory and what appeared to be a second AFCON title.
CAF overturns result
Morocco later challenged the outcome, arguing that Senegal’s temporary walk-off breached CAF competition regulations.
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On March 17, 2026, the CAF Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the final under Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations. The governing body overturned the on-field result, awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory and declared the Atlas Lions champions.
The decision generated widespread debate across African football, with the Senegalese Football Federation describing the ruling as a “travesty” and insisting it had no legal basis.
Senegal seeks title reinstatement
Senegal formally lodged its appeal with CAS on March 25, 2026.
The federation is asking the Lausanne-based court to annul CAF’s decision, reinstate the original 1-0 result and officially recognise Senegal as the winners of the 2025 AFCON.
The outcome of the October hearing is expected to have significant implications for African football governance, particularly regarding the interpretation and application of competition regulations during major tournaments.
