Senegal's AFCON Title Appeal Decision Expected by End of November, CAS Confirms

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed that a decision regarding Senegal's appeal after being stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title will be announced by the end of November. The CAS stated in a release on Monday that the process is expected to take several weeks, with the official CAS Award anticipated by the close of November 2026.

Senegal is challenging the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to award the championship title to Morocco, despite Senegal's 1-0 victory over the hosts in the final held in Rabat in January. The arguments presented by Senegal, Morocco, and CAF were heard by CAS in Lausanne on October 8. Initially, CAS indicated a decision would be made within days, but has now opted to release a comprehensive ruling, including the legal reasoning, known as a CAS Award.

During the final match, Senegal players walked off the pitch for 14 minutes in protest after a penalty was awarded against them late in regulation time. Some players even returned to the dressing room before play resumed. Morocco subsequently missed the penalty, leading to extra time where Senegal scored the winning goal.

However, two months later, CAF's Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match by leaving the field, overturning the result and awarding a 3-0 win to Morocco. Senegal promptly filed an appeal with CAS on March 25, which was heard approximately six months later. Senegal's primary argument is that the referee's decisions are final and that the match was allowed to conclude.

CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb acknowledged the lengthy wait for fans, stating, "I know it’s a long wait for the fans, a few months after the final between Senegal and Morocco." He added, "The facts are set, are clear and the discussions will be on some procedural issues and legal aspects." The CAS panel overseeing the case is chaired by French sports law expert Gerald Simon, with contributions from Italian international law professor Luigi Fumagalli and Ulrich Haas, a Hamburg-based lawyer and professor of law at the University of Zurich. CAS decisions, known as awards, carry the same weight as national court judgments and can be enforced by sports federations or state courts.