CAS delays ruling on Senegal’s AFCON 2025 appeal until October

Senegal will have to wait several more months for a verdict on its appeal against the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to award the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title to Morocco, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) not expected to issue a ruling before October 2026.

The decision, which had initially been anticipated in July, has been delayed as proceedings before the Switzerland-based court continue.

According to information reported by Spanish sports outlet IUSPORT and relayed by Iwsport, the hearing could now take place in either September or October, making an earlier judgment impossible.

The case centres on a dispute between the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) and CAF following the governing body’s decision on 17 March 2026 to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title and declare Morocco champions.

CAF based its decision on what it described as a breach of competition regulations during the final. The organisation accused Senegal’s players of leaving the field during extra time in protest after a penalty was awarded to Morocco.

The penalty was ultimately missed, and Senegal later found the net during the match. Despite those events, CAF ruled in favour of Morocco by awarding a 3-0 administrative victory, a decision that handed the North African nation the continental title.

The Senegalese Football Federation rejected the ruling and subsequently lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, arguing that the decision was unjustified.

The federation described CAF’s verdict as a “blatant administrative theft,” maintaining its opposition to the outcome that overturned the result of the final.

CAS is now responsible for examining the appeal before reaching a final decision. However, with the hearing yet to take place, the process has been extended beyond the original timetable.

The latest update means no verdict can be delivered until after the hearing has concluded, with October now the earliest possible date for a ruling.

For Senegal, the delay prolongs uncertainty over the outcome of one of African football’s most high-profile legal disputes.

The federation must now wait for CAS to hear the case before learning whether CAF’s decision to reassign the 2025 AFCON title to Morocco will stand or be overturned.

The postponement also means the legal process surrounding the tournament remains unresolved several months after CAF announced its controversial decision, leaving both parties awaiting the final judgment from sport’s highest arbitration body.