2025 AFCON Final: CAS reviewed the title stripped from Senegal and awarded to Morocco on October 8

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) examined the appeal filed by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in Lausanne, against the CAF decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title and award it to Morocco. The hearing opened at 9:30 a.m. behind closed doors and was conducted in French at the request of both federations, according to Afrik-Foot.

A title won on the pitch, lost in the boardroom

On January 18, 2026, at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, the two teams were tied at 0-0 at the end of regulation time. During stoppage time, Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded a penalty to Morocco after a VAR review in the 97th minute, shortly after a Senegalese goal was disallowed, reports allAfrica. Following instructions from their then-coach, Pape Thiaw, the Senegalese players left the pitch in protest: the match was interrupted for nearly sixteen minutes, according to Le360. The Lions returned, Brahim Díaz missed the penalty, and Senegal won 1-0 in extra time with a goal from Pape Gueye.

CAF rules on March 17, FSF appeals to CAS on March 25

Seized by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, the CAF Appeal Board annulled the result on the pitch on March 17, 2026. It ruled that the offenses under Articles 82 and 84 of the regulations were established, declared Senegal to have forfeited, confirmed the final score as 3-0, and proclaimed Morocco the African champion. The FSF filed its appeal on March 25, 2026.

The FSF relies on the IFAB Laws of the Game and the authority of the referee, who chose to resume the match rather than declare it a forfeit. Morocco invokes CAF regulations regarding abandoning the pitch, which provide for sanctions that can include a forfeit. The arbitration panel is chaired by Frenchman Gérald Simon, with Italian Luigi Fumagalli and German Ulrich Haas.

No verdict yet

No decision was rendered at the conclusion of the proceedings: the three arbitrators are deliberating, and CAS will publish its announcement on its website, with no date provided. Camfoot suggests "several weeks," while allAfrica mentions the coming days. In the meantime, the IFAB amended its texts on April 28, 2026, in Vancouver: a player who leaves the pitch in protest can now be sent off, though this has no retroactive effect on this case, Le360 specifies.

The case is unprecedented: a continental final won on the pitch, followed by a trophy transferred by an administrative decision. It also speaks to the governance of African football, as two federations from the continent end up before a Swiss court to determine who is the African champion.