The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has scheduled 8 October 2026 to hear the Senegalese Football Federation’s appeal over the controversial outcome of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.

In a statement issued on Friday, CAS said the hearing will take place at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, involving the Senegalese Football Federation, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.

Senegal is challenging CAF’s decision to strip the Teranga Lions of the 2025 AFCON title after ruling that they forfeited the final. CAF subsequently awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory and crowned them African champions.

The appeal, which was officially registered on 25 March 2026, also asks CAS to reinstate the original match result and declare Senegal the rightful winners of the tournament.

CAS said the case is proceeding under its standard timetable because the parties did not agree to an expedited process.

“The parties did not agree to expedite this procedure, which is therefore following a standard timeline according to CAS procedural rules,” the statement said.

The hearing will be held behind closed doors after none of the parties requested a public session.

CAS also stressed that no verdict will be issued on the day of 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 arbitration body said.

It also cautioned against misinformation surrounding the case, saying only announcements published through its official channels should be regarded as authoritative.

Background

The dispute stems from the dramatic AFCON final played in Rabat on 18 January 2026.
The match descended into controversy during stoppage time when the referee awarded Morocco a penalty following a VAR review.

Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest before returning about 14 minutes later to complete the match.

Morocco failed to convert the penalty, and Senegal went on to win 1-0 after extra time, seemingly securing their second AFCON title.

However, Morocco appealed to CAF, arguing that Senegal’s temporary walk-off violated the competition regulations.

On 17 March 2026, the CAF Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the final under Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations, overturned the on-field result and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory and the championship.

The decision triggered widespread debate across African football, with the Senegalese Football Federation describing the ruling as a “travesty” lacking any legal basis.

Senegal subsequently filed an appeal with CAS, seeking to overturn CAF’s decision, restore the original result and be officially recognised as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations champions.