2025 AFCON Final: CAS to deliver verdict on Morocco-Senegal title dispute in late November

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Monday, October 19, 2026, that it will deliver its verdict in "late November" regarding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal. Nine months after the final whistle, the name of the reigning African champion still depends on a tribunal based in Switzerland.

A match won on the pitch, lost in the boardroom

The final took place on January 18, 2026. Senegal won 1-0 after extra time, recalls Pulse Sénégal. At the end of regulation time, some Senegalese players had left the pitch to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco; play later resumed and the Lions finished the match.

On March 17, 2026, in Cairo, the CAF Appeal Board overturned everything. Approached by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), it ruled that the departure of the Senegalese players violated Article 82 of the AFCON regulations, declared Senegal to have forfeited under Article 84, and validated a 3-0 scoreline for Morocco, reports Medias24. The same board reduced the suspension of player Ismaël Saibari to two matches, one of which was suspended, canceled a $100,000 fine against him, reduced the fine imposed on the FRMF for the ball boy incident to $50,000, and confirmed a $100,000 fine for interference in the video assistant referee viewing area.

The Senegalese federation demands annulment

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) took the case to the CAS, facing both the CAF and the FRMF. It is requesting the annulment of the continental decision and the recognition of Senegal as the winner of the tournament, according to Pulse Sénégal. The FRMF, for its part, maintains that its actions were aimed at upholding the regulations rather than challenging the teams' sporting performance, reports the APA agency.

The hearing was held behind closed doors on October 8, 2026, at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne. The tribunal has since begun its deliberations and warns that drafting a reasoned award takes several weeks. Following the circulation of a fake press release announcing Senegal's victory, it reiterated that "only information released through its official channels is authentic."

What is really at stake

Beyond a trophy, it is the credibility of the continent's biggest competition that awaits this verdict. Two African federations, an African confederation, and an African title: the case is being resolved before a European jurisdiction, due to the lack of a continental body whose decision has been accepted by both sides. The answer will come before the end of November 2026.