CAS sets Oct 8 hearing for Senegal, Morocco AFCON title dispute

By Enitan Abdultawab

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has fixed October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the dispute between Senegal and Morocco over the outcome of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.

The hearing is scheduled to take place in Lausanne, Switzerland, at 9:30am, with representatives of the Senegalese Football Federation, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and the Confederation of African Football expected to appear before the CAS panel.

The proceedings will be conducted in French following an agreement by the parties, while the hearing will be held behind closed doors.

The dispute stems from the controversial AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco, which Senegal initially won 1-0 through Pape Gueye’s goal.

The final was interrupted when Senegal players temporarily left the pitch following a penalty awarded to Morocco. The players later returned after Sadio Mane intervened to calm his teammates.

Morocco’s Brahim Diaz subsequently missed the penalty, with Senegal holding on to win the match and lift the trophy.

The controversy continued after the tournament, with CAF’s Disciplinary Committee imposing sanctions on players and officials from both teams over incidents connected to the final.

Morocco later appealed the disciplinary decisions, and CAF’s Appeal Board overturned the earlier outcome, stripping Senegal of the title and awarding the trophy to Morocco.

The Senegalese Football Federation rejected the decision and subsequently took the case to CAS, seeking to overturn the Appeal Board’s ruling.

The October 8 hearing will allow the three parties to present their respective arguments before the independent CAS panel.

CAS said a date for the final decision would be announced after the hearing, meaning the outcome of the title dispute will not be known on October 8 itself.

The case has continued to attract attention because of its implications for the official outcome of the 2025 AFCON tournament and the circumstances surrounding the controversial final.

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