Africa Cup of Nations 2025: CAS verdict in Senegal-Morocco dispute expected by late November

The legal dispute surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final will continue for several more weeks, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) now saying its decision is expected by the end of November 2026.

The case involves the Federation Senegalaise de Football (FSF), the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) and the Federation Marocaine de Football (FRMF). It concerns the final between Senegal and Morocco.

In a statement issued on Monday, 19 October 2026, the TAS said: “The arbitral panel has begun its deliberations and is currently continuing them.” No final decision has yet been reached.

The panel has opted to issue a full ruling, including the legal reasoning behind its decision, rather than publish the verdict alone. The TAS said this process “will take several weeks” and that its award is expected “at the end of November 2026”.

The hearing took place behind closed doors at the TAS headquarters on 8 October. That means the parties are likely to wait approximately seven weeks after the hearing before learning the outcome of the proceedings.

The timetable is longer than the initial expectation outlined on the day of the hearing by TAS director general Matthieu Reeb. He had said the organisation wanted to reach a decision quickly, but acknowledged that drafting a complete ruling could take longer.

“Our objective is to issue a decision as quickly as possible after the hearing,” Reeb said. “But it could take a few days or even a few weeks if the arbitrators decide to write a complete decision with the legal reasoning.”

Because the panel has chosen to provide that full reasoning, the Senegal, Morocco and the relevant governing bodies will now have to wait until the end of November.

The delay comes amid growing speculation about the outcome, including fake statements that have repeatedly circulated on social media. The announcement of a further wait could lead to more rumours before the ruling is published.

The TAS has therefore issued a reminder about where official information will appear. “Only information communicated through the TAS channels is considered official,” it said.

Any further announcement concerning the case will be published on the TAS website. Until then, Senegal, Morocco and the organisations involved have no indication of the content of the decision and must wait for the deadline set by the arbitration body.