2025 AFCON: After a 5.5-hour hearing in Lausanne, the CAS holds the Senegal-Morocco title in its hands
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reserved its decision on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in Lausanne, regarding the dispute between the Senegalese Football Federation, Morocco, and the CAF over the 2025 AFCON title. The hearing, held behind closed doors, opened around 9:30 a.m. and concluded around 3:00 p.m., totaling approximately five and a half hours of debate, reports Médias24. Both parties presented their arguments.
A title won on the pitch, lost in the boardroom
At the heart of the case is a final won 1-0 on the pitch by Senegal, played in Rabat in January 2026, according to Goal. During the match, the Senegalese players had briefly left the pitch to protest a refereeing decision before returning to finish the game. The CAF appeal jury subsequently declared Senegal to have lost by forfeit and awarded the victory to Morocco with a score of 3-0, citing articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations, again according to Goal. The Senegalese federation is requesting the annulment of this decision and its recognition as African champion, invoking the authority of the referee as provided for by article 5 of the Laws of the Game.
Three arbitrators, no official date
The arbitration panel is chaired by Frenchman Gérald Simon, joined by Italian Luigi Fumagalli, appointed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, and German Ulrich Haas, chosen by the Senegalese side, specifies Médias24. The case has been registered under the reference CAS 2026/A/12295, according to a CAS circular reported by Ndarinfo.
No date for the ruling has been announced. The Code of Sports-related Arbitration provides, in its article R59, a maximum period of four months to notify the parties of the decision, notes Médias24. Senegalese media outlets have mentioned an announcement between October 18 and 22, 2026, information relayed by Goal but not confirmed by the CAS.
Two outcomes, one credibility at stake
Two scenarios are possible: confirming the Moroccan title or recognizing the result achieved on the pitch and returning the crown to Senegal, summarizes Ndarinfo. Beyond the two federations, it is the clarity of African sports justice that is under scrutiny: a continental trophy awarded through administrative channels, ten months after a final played before the African public, leaves an open wound in both countries. The CAS ruling will be final.
This article was written in French with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited below, then translated from French automatically. Read the original.
