The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has fixed October 8, 2026, as the date for the hearing into the controversial dispute over the winner of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Senegal and Morocco.
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The hearing, which will take place behind closed doors at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, will consider Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s decision to strip the Teranga Lions of the continental title.
Senegal had originally defeated hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the AFCON final played in Rabat on January 18, 2026.
However, the match was overshadowed by a lengthy stoppage after Senegalese players temporarily walked off the pitch in protest over a controversial penalty decision before eventually returning to complete the game.
In March 2026, the CAF Appeals Board ruled that Senegal had violated competition regulations by leaving the field of play.
As a result, CAF overturned the match result, awarded Morocco a 3-0 administrative victory, and declared the Atlas Lions the official champions of the tournament.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) rejected the ruling, describing it as unfair and subsequently lodged an appeal with CAS, seeking to have the original result restored and Senegal reinstated as AFCON champions.
CAS has confirmed that the October 8 hearing will follow its standard arbitration procedures and will not be open to the public.
The panel is expected to begin deliberations after hearing submissions from all parties, with the final decision to be issued at a later date rather than on the day of the hearing.
Until CAS delivers its final and binding verdict, uncertainty remains over the official outcome of the 2025 AFCON final, with one of African football’s most controversial title disputes set to reach a decisive stage later this year.
