The Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed that a final ruling on Senegal’s appeal regarding the Africa Cup of Nations title will be delivered by the end of November 2026. The announcement follows hearings held in Lausanne on October 8 involving Senegal, Morocco, and the Confederation of African Football. Plus those of Morocco and CAF, were heard by CAS in Lausanne on October 8, their arguments.
Senegal is challenging a decision by CAF’s Appeal Board that stripped them of the trophy and declared host nation Morocco the official champions. Although Senegal won the final 1-0 after extra time in Rabat in January, CAF later ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match. This came after Senegalese players staged a 14-minute walkout late in regulation time to protest a penalty awarded against them, with several players temporarily returning to the dressing room before resuming play.
Morocco subsequently missed the penalty, and Senegal went on to score the winning goal during extra time. However, two months later, CAF overturned the result to a 3-0 default win for Morocco. Senegal lodged an appeal with CAS on March 25, arguing that the referee allowed the match to finish and that his on-field decisions should be treated as final.
While CAS initially indicated a quick decision would follow the October hearing, the tribunal has opted to publish a full legal ruling, known as a CAS Award. CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb acknowledged the delay, stating outside the hearing, “I know it’s a long wait for the fans, a few months after the final between Senegal and Morocco.” He noted that “the facts are set, are clear and the discussions will be on some procedural issues and legal aspects.” In a formal statement on Monday, the court reiterated that “this process will require several weeks, with the CAS Award expected at the end of November 2026.” According to at the time, CAS, it expected a decision within days but has now decided to issue a complete ruling, including legal grounds, known as a CAS Award.
The arbitration panel presiding over the case is led by French sports law expert Gerald Simon, alongside Italian international law professor Luigi Fumagalli and Hamburg-based lawyer Ulrich Haas, a law professor at the University of Zurich. CAS decisions carry the legal weight of national court judgments and are enforceable through state courts or sports governing bodies. CAS decisions are called awards and hold the same value as a national court judgement.
