Senegal will ask sport’s highest court in Lausanne on 8 October 2026 to restore the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title it lost to Morocco on appeal in March.
The central question for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is whether a team can forfeit a final that went to the end of extra time and that it won on the pitch. Its answer will decide which country goes into the history books as champion of the 2025 tournament.
The final, played in Rabat in January, was goalless near the end of normal time when Morocco were awarded a penalty after a VAR check, and Senegal players left the field in protest. They came back after Sadio Mané stepped in. Brahim Díaz missed the spot-kick, and Pape Gueye scored in extra time to give Senegal a 1-0 win.
On 17 March, CAF’s appeal board awarded Morocco a 3-0 win. It upheld a protest by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), which argued that the walk-off amounted to a forfeit under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations. The board also set aside an earlier ruling by CAF’s disciplinary board on procedural grounds.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) called it an “unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision”. CAS registered the appeal on 25 March. The FSF wants the court to set aside the forfeit ruling and declare Senegal the 2025 champions. The FRMF has said its protest was aimed only at having the competition rules applied properly.
In a media note on 30 September, CAS said the hearing will be held in person at its headquarters. It will take place behind closed doors because none of the parties asked for it to be public. Proceedings begin at 09:30, are expected to run into the afternoon and will be conducted in French at the parties’ request. FSF and FRMF officials will attend in person, and lawyers will represent CAF.
Three European arbitrators will hear the case:
- Gérald Simon (France), chair. He is an emeritus professor of public law and is regarded as a leading French specialist in sports law.
- Luigi Fumagalli (Italy)
- Ulrich Haas (Germany)
The case is on a standard CAS timetable because the parties did not agree to speed it up. The panel will begin deliberating once the hearing ends. CAS has said it will not rule on the day and cannot yet say when its decision will come.
Until then, Morocco remain the official 2025 AFCON champions.
