Senegal’s AFCON Title Appeal: CAS Sets Late November Deadline for Verdict

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) says its decision on Senegal’s appeal against the withdrawal of their Africa Cup of Nations title in favour of Morocco is expected by the end of November 2026.

CAS announced the timeline in a statement on Monday, confirming that the hearing took place behind closed doors at its Lausanne headquarters on October 8.

“The panel have begun and continue their deliberations,” the sports dispute resolution body stated.

It added: “The CAS arbitrators have decided to issue a complete ruling which includes legal grounds, known as a CAS Award. This process will require several weeks, with the CAS Award expected at the end of November 2026.”

The appeal follows CAF’s decision in March to overturn Senegal’s 1-0 victory over Morocco in the AFCON final and instead award the North African country a 3-0 win and the championship.

The final, played in Rabat on January 18, had ended with Senegal celebrating victory after Pape Gueye scored the only goal in extra time.

However, the match was disrupted by controversy near the end of normal time when Morocco were awarded a penalty with the score still 0-0.

Several Senegal players left the pitch in protest, while some supporters attempted to invade the field. The incident caused a delay of nearly 20 minutes before Senegal’s players returned to continue the match.

Despite Senegal’s victory on the pitch, CAF overturned the result in March, declaring Morocco the winners by a 3-0 scoreline and awarding them the title.

Senegal appealed the decision to CAS, which is now considering the case. Its ruling, including the legal reasoning behind the decision, is expected at the end of November 2026.

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