CAS ruling on AFCON 2025 final winner expected by end of November

Senegal will have to wait until the end of November to discover whether they can regain the Africa Cup of Nations title after challenging the decision to strip them of the trophy and award it to Morocco, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has announced.

The sports tribunal said on Monday that its final ruling, including the legal grounds behind its decision, is expected at the end of November 2026.

Senegal are contesting the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to overturn their 1-0 victory over Morocco in the final, which was played after extra time in Rabat in January.

The two countries, together with CAF, presented their arguments during a hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 8 October. CAS had initially indicated that a decision could follow within days but has since confirmed that it will issue a full award explaining its legal reasoning.

“This process will require several weeks, with the CAS ⁠Award expected at the end of November 2026,” CAS said in a statement.

The dispute centres on a controversial incident late in regulation time during the final, when Senegal's players left the pitch for 14 minutes in protest after Morocco were awarded a penalty.

Several Senegalese players returned to the dressing room before the team eventually resumed the match. Morocco failed to convert the spot kick, sending the contest into extra time, where Senegal scored the winning goal to secure what appeared to be their continental crown.

However, the celebrations were overturned two months later when CAF's Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match by walking off the pitch.

The governing body subsequently awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory, stripping Senegal of the title despite their on-field success.

Senegal responded by taking the matter to CAS, sport's highest arbitration tribunal, lodging their appeal on 25 March.

Their argument centres on the position that the referee's decisions during the match should stand, particularly because the official allowed the game to resume and reach its conclusion after the protest.

The appeal has since become a major legal dispute over the circumstances surrounding the final and the application of football's disciplinary procedures.

CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb acknowledged the frustration among supporters as the process continued following the January final.

“I know it's a long wait for the fans a few months after the final between Senegal and Morocco,” Reeb said outside the hearing earlier this month.

He had previously suggested that the outcome would not be announced immediately after the proceedings.

“I expect the decision to come not today, not tomorrow, but a few days later. The facts are set, are clear and the discussions will be on some procedural issues and legal aspects," he added.

The latest announcement means the parties must wait several more weeks for a definitive outcome, extending uncertainty over the ownership of the AFCON title.

The CAS panel handling the case is chaired by French sports law expert Gerald Simon. He is joined by Italian international law professor Luigi Fumagalli and Ulrich Haas, a Hamburg-based attorney and professor of law at the University of Zurich.

The panel is responsible for examining the arguments presented by Senegal, Morocco and CAF before issuing its final ruling.

CAS decisions are known as awards and carry the same value as a national court judgment, with enforcement possible under the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. Depending on the circumstances, sports federations or state courts may enforce such decisions.

For Senegal, the ruling will determine whether their appeal against the removal of the title succeeds. Morocco, meanwhile, are awaiting a decision on the championship awarded to them following CAF's disciplinary ruling.

The outcome is expected to bring clarity to one of African football's most contentious disputes, although neither side will know the final result until CAS publishes its decision at the end of November.