The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has set October 8, 2026 as the date to hear Senegal’s appeal against the decision that stripped the country of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco.
In a statement released on Tuesday, September 30, CAS confirmed the hearing will take place at 9:30am at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, behind closed doors after none of the parties requested a public hearing. 8e8e
The case will be heard by a three-member panel chaired by French arbitrator Prof Gérald Simon, alongside Italy’s Prof Luigi Fumagalli and Germany’s Prof Dr Ulrich Haas. Proceedings will be conducted in French. 8e8e
The dispute stems from the dramatic AFCON 2025 final on January 18, 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Senegal initially won 1-0 after extra time through Pape Gueye’s 94th-minute goal, but the match was overshadowed by chaos late in normal time when referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty after a VAR review. 8e8e3ddc
Several Senegal players walked off the pitch in protest, halting the game for nearly 20 minutes before returning. Brahim Diaz missed the penalty with an attempted Panenka, and Senegal went on to win in extra time.
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In March 2026, CAF’s Appeals Board ruled that Senegal had breached Article 82 of the AFCON regulations and declared the team to have forfeited the final, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory and the title. 3ddc
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) registered its appeal on March 25, 2026, asking CAS to annul the CAF ruling and declare Senegal winners of AFCON 2025. 1074
CAS confirmed representatives of both the FSF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) will attend in person, while CAF will be represented by its lawyers. 4f46
The court clarified that no final verdict will be delivered on the day of the hearing, with deliberations to begin afterwards. A final ruling is expected by mid-November. 1074
