Senegal’s appeal over Morocco’s AFCON title reaches CAS hearing

Senegal’s appeal against the ruling that awarded Morocco the Africa Cup of Nations title is scheduled for a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, on October 8, 2026. The proceedings concern who should be recognised as champion after Senegal’s on-field victory was overturned in March.

The hearing is a new stage in the dispute, but it will not settle the championship immediately. CAS says its panel will deliberate afterwards and will not issue its final decision on hearing day. No date for that decision has been announced.

What is scheduled at the Lausanne hearing

In its September 30 operational notice, CAS scheduled the in-person hearing for 9:30 a.m. in Lausanne, or 07:30 UTC, with an expected finish in the afternoon. The hearing was still forthcoming at the latest reporting check; its actual commencement has not been established.

The parties did not request a public hearing, so proceedings will take place behind closed doors without media access. They have agreed that the hearing will be conducted in French, according to the court’s notice.

How Senegal’s on-field victory became a title dispute

Senegal beat host Morocco 1–0 after extra time in the January 2026 final in Rabat. Although the decisive match took place in 2026, the competition is officially named AFCON Morocco 2025. The October hearing comes nearly nine months after that match.

According to AP reporting carried by France 24, Senegal’s players walked off the pitch to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco deep in stoppage time. The interruption lasted about 15 minutes. Senegal forward Sadio Mané helped persuade his teammates to return before referee Jean-Jacques Ndala restarted play.

Morocco then had a chance to win through the penalty. Brahim Diaz attempted a chipped shot, but Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy stayed upright and caught the ball. The match continued into extra time, when Pape Gueye scored its only goal four minutes after the restart.

CAF disciplinary judges initially rejected Morocco’s request to annul the result over the walk-off, France 24/AP reported. Eleven days after the match, they imposed more than $1 million in combined fines on the two federations, players and Senegal coach Pape Thiaw.

Why CAF recorded a 3–0 Morocco win

That outcome changed on March 17, when CAF’s Appeal Board upheld Morocco’s appeal and set aside the disciplinary decision. Its published statement declared that “the Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match”, recording the result as a 3–0 victory for Morocco.

The board found that Senegal’s conduct infringed Article 82 of the tournament regulations and applied Article 84 to impose the forfeit. France 24/AP explains that the relevant provisions address refusing to play or leaving the ground before the end of a match without the referee’s authorisation.

The referee’s authority could be an issue in Senegal’s challenge, according to France 24/AP: Ndala restarted the game, and it was completed to his satisfaction. That is a reported potential argument, rather than a finding by CAS. The parties’ full submissions for the October hearing are not available in the published material reviewed.

CAS registered Senegal’s appeal on March 25 against CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. Senegal is asking the court to set aside the March 17 ruling and declare it the AFCON winner. The case therefore challenges the decision that replaced the result achieved on the pitch.

When could CAS decide the AFCON appeal?

At registration, Senegal also sought to suspend its deadline for an appeal brief until CAF supplied the full grounds for its decision. CAS described the ruling then available as operative only. That March account does not establish whether full reasons remain unavailable now.

CAS explained in March that its ordinary procedure allows an appellant 20 days for its legal brief and respondents another 20 days for their defence. Senegal’s suspension request prevented an initial timetable estimate. Those procedural periods were not a promised deadline for resolving the title dispute.

In the same March announcement, CAS director general Matthieu Reeb acknowledged the teams’ and supporters’ wish for a decision and pledged speed while “respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing”. The court’s September hearing notice leaves the verdict’s timing unspecified and says announcements will appear on its website.