The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on October 12 that it will issue its final ruling on Senegal's appeal over being stripped of the 2025 AFCON title in late November 2026, after hearing arguments from both sides earlier in the month.
According to CAS's statement, the process will take a few more weeks, with the full decision — known as the CAS Award — expected to be published in late November. At the October 8 hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland, the court had indicated it might rule within days, but ultimately opted to issue a complete award with legal reasoning.
The development follows a dispute stemming from the January final in Rabat, where Senegal beat hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time. During the match, Senegal left the pitch for 14 minutes after a penalty was awarded late in regulation time, with some players heading to the dressing room in protest before returning. Morocco missed the penalty, sending the match to extra time, where Senegal scored the winning goal.
Two months later, however, CAF's Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had abandoned the match by leaving the pitch, overturned the result and awarded Morocco a 3-0 win, stripping Senegal of the title. On March 25, Senegal appealed to CAS, arguing that the referee's decision was final and that the referee had allowed the match to continue to its conclusion.
Speaking outside the early-October hearing, CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb said: “I understand that fans have been waiting a long time, many months after the final between Senegal and Morocco. The facts are clear, and the discussions will revolve around a number of procedural issues and legal aspects.”
The CAS panel comprises Chairman Gerald Simon, a French sports law expert; Italian professor of international law Luigi Fumagalli; and Ulrich Haas, a lawyer and professor of law at the University of Zurich, sitting in Hamburg.
A CAS ruling carries the same weight as a national court judgment and can be enforced by sports federations or state courts depending on the case.
