The long-running dispute surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final is set to enter a new phase after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed it will examine Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) in September or October.
The hearing, which will take place in Lausanne, Switzerland, means no final ruling on one of African football’s most controversial recent cases is expected before October at the earliest.
The appeal was lodged by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) after CAF’s Appeals Board overturned the result of the 2025 AFCON final and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory by forfeit.
The decision, issued on 17 March 2026, also stripped Senegal of the continental title they had won on the pitch.
The case has attracted significant attention across African football, not only because it concerns the continent’s premier men’s competition but also because it could have lasting implications for how major disciplinary disputes are handled in the future.
CAS had already confirmed in March that it had received the FSF’s appeal challenging both CAF and the Moroccan federation.
According to information reported by IUSPORT, the hearing is now expected to be held during September or October, while Senegalese news agency APS reports that a final verdict is unlikely before October.
The dispute stems from the AFCON final played in Rabat on 18 January 2026.
Senegal appeared to have secured a memorable 1-0 victory after Pape Gueye scored during extra time.
However, the closing stages of the match were overshadowed by controversy after Morocco were awarded a penalty in stoppage time while the score remained goalless.
The Senegalese players initially refused to continue the match following the penalty decision before eventually returning to the field after a brief interruption.
Once play resumed, Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved, allowing Senegal to remain level before Gueye went on to score what proved to be the only goal of the match in extra time.
Although Senegal celebrated what appeared to be a successful AFCON triumph, events off the pitch dramatically altered the outcome weeks later.
Two months after the final, CAF’s Appeals Board reviewed the matter and ruled that Morocco should be awarded a 3-0 victory by default.
The decision resulted in Senegal losing the African title despite their victory during the match itself.
The ruling prompted the FSF to escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the highest judicial authority in international sport.
According to the information provided, Senegal’s football federation believes the CAF decision was unjust and has appealed in an effort to restore what it considers sporting fairness.
The federation has consistently rejected the decision communicated on 17 March 2026 and is seeking to have its title reinstated through the CAS process.
