CAS to Rule on Senegal’s AFCON Title Appeal Against Morocco in November
Senegal will have to wait until the end of November 2026 for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to decide whether the Africa Cup of Nations title should be restored to the Lions of Teranga or remain with Morocco following the disputed final in Rabat.
CAS extends timetable for final ruling
CAS heard submissions from Senegal, Morocco and the Confederation of African Football in Lausanne on October 8. An initial decision had been expected within days, but the three-member panel will now produce a full CAS Award setting out its legal reasoning.
The court said the process required several more weeks and set the expected publication of its decision for the end of November 2026. The eventual award will determine whether Senegal’s 1-0 extra-time victory on January 18 stands, or whether CAF’s subsequent decision to hand Morocco a 3-0 default win is upheld.
Before the hearing, CAS director general Matthieu Reeb indicated that the central arguments would concern procedure and legal interpretation rather than disputed match facts. He acknowledged the prolonged wait for supporters after the final, while saying a ruling was unlikely to be delivered immediately after the hearing.
The incident that reshaped the final
Senegal won the final on the field after extra time, but the match was interrupted for 14 minutes late in normal time. Several Senegal players left the pitch and returned to the dressing room after Morocco were awarded a penalty.
Play eventually resumed, with Morocco failing to convert the spot-kick. Senegal then scored the decisive goal in extra time to beat the hosts 1-0.
CAF’s Appeal Board took a different view in March. It judged Senegal’s temporary withdrawal from the match to be a forfeit, removed the trophy from the side that had won the final and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory.
Senegal’s appeal rests on completion of match
Senegal filed its CAS appeal on March 25. Its case is based on the argument that the referee’s authority over the match was final and that he allowed the game to continue through to its conclusion.
- January 18: Senegal defeat Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the AFCON final in Rabat.
- Late in regulation time: Senegal players briefly leave the field following a penalty awarded to Morocco; the interruption lasts 14 minutes.
- After the restart: Morocco miss the penalty, before Senegal score in extra time.
- March: CAF’s Appeal Board rules the walk-off a forfeit, awards Morocco a 3-0 win and strips Senegal of the title.
- March 25: Senegal submit their appeal to CAS.
- October 8: CAS hears arguments in Lausanne.
- End of November 2026: CAS expects to release its full award.
Panel’s decision will be legally binding
The case is being considered by a panel led by French sports-law specialist Gerald Simon. Italian international-law professor Luigi Fumagalli and Ulrich Haas, the Hamburg-based lawyer and University of Zurich professor, complete the tribunal.
The CAS Award will carry the force of a national-court judgment under the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. It can therefore be enforced through sporting bodies or state courts.
- Senegal are seeking the return of the AFCON crown won on the pitch in January.
- Morocco currently hold the title after CAF converted the final into a 3-0 default result.
- The principal dispute is whether Senegal’s brief departure amounted to a forfeit despite the referee completing the match.
- A detailed and enforceable CAS ruling is now expected by the end of November.
