AFCON 2025 final: CAS ruling on Senegal–Morocco due at end of November
Senegal won the final on the pitch before being declared losers by forfeit, and they are now awaiting the outcome of their appeal against the CAF decision. The Court of Arbitration for Sport plans to issue its full award at the end of November 2026. The question of Morocco's title remains at the heart of the dispute, with no indication of which way the ruling will go.
Rieltony LOUBOKO · Author profile ·
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The AFCON 2025 final dispute has entered its deliberation phase. After a hearing held behind closed doors on 8 October in Lausanne, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Monday 19 October that its award was expected at the end of November.
The arbitrators have chosen to issue a full decision, setting out its legal reasoning. That stage is expected to take several weeks. “The Panel has begun its deliberations and is currently continuing them,” says the statement.
The timetable is taking shape, then, but the outcome remains open. CAS has given no indication of whether it will uphold or overturn the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
A win on the pitch, then an administrative defeat
To understand the dispute, it is necessary to go back to 18 January 2026 in Rabat. That evening, Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 after extra time in a particularly tense final.
In second-half stoppage time, several Senegalese players had briefly left the pitch to protest against a penalty awarded to Morocco. They later came back to resume the match, which the Lions of Teranga eventually won.
The result on the pitch was nevertheless overturned two months later. On 17 March, the CAF Appeal Jury declared Senegal losers by forfeit and confirmed the result as a 3-0 win for Morocco. It ruled that the Senegalese team's conduct fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations, which cover, among other things, refusing to play or leaving the field without the referee's permission.
That decision awarded the title to the Atlas Lions. The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) challenged it before CAS. Its appeal is directed against CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
What the three parties are arguing
For Senegal, the aim is to have the sanction reviewed that turned their victory into an administrative defeat, along with its consequences for the continental title.
Morocco, for their part, intend to protect the title awarded to them by the Appeal Jury's decision. The FRMF is a party to the proceedings, the outcome of which could confirm or alter that situation.
CAF, meanwhile, is defending the decision of its appeal body and the application of the regulations on which it rests. The CAS arbitrators must examine the parties' requests and arguments before ruling.
At this stage, the closed-door hearing and the court's silence on the substance make it impossible to favour any scenario.
An award awaited, several possible outcomes
Dismissal of Senegal's appeal would leave the contested decision in place, and the title with Morocco. Conversely, a ruling in favour of the FSF, in whole or in part, could lead to that decision being annulled or modified, depending on the conclusions reached by the arbitrators.
CAS could also rule differently on certain aspects of the case, depending on the requests submitted to it. A ruling in Senegal's favour should therefore not be presented in advance as an automatic return of the title: its effects will depend on the operative part of the award.
In its statement, the court points out that only information released through its own channels is official. Any new announcement concerning the case will be published on its website.
Almost ten months after the Rabat final, the two teams should therefore know the consequences of this appeal. Until then, CAS has announced a deadline, not a winner.