The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) says it expects to rule by the end of November 2026 on Senegal’s appeal against the decision to award this year’s Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco.
Senegal are challenging the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruling that overturned the result of January’s final in Rabat. Senegal beat hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time, but CAF later declared that they had forfeited the match following a walk-off during the game.
The case was heard by CAS in Lausanne on 8 October, with representatives of Senegal, Morocco and CAF presenting their arguments. CAS had initially indicated that a decision would be issued within days, but said on Monday that it would instead publish a full ruling, including the legal reasoning, known as a CAS Award.
“This process will require several weeks, with the CAS Award expected at the end of November 2026,” CAS said in a statement.
Senegal left the pitch for 14 minutes late in normal time after a penalty was awarded against them. Several players went to the dressing room in protest before returning to complete the match.
Morocco missed the penalty, and the game went into extra time. Senegal then scored the winning goal and appeared to have secured the title.
Two months later, however, the CAF Appeal Board ruled that Senegal’s departure from the pitch meant they had forfeited the final. The board overturned the result and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory.
Senegal lodged an appeal with CAS on 25 March, although the case was not heard until around six months later. Their argument is based largely on the principle that the referee’s decision is final and that the referee allowed the match to continue to its conclusion.
“I know it’s a long wait for the fans a few months after the final between Senegal and Morocco,” CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb said outside the hearing earlier this month.
“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 CAS panel 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.
CAS decisions are known as awards and have the same status as judgments from national courts. They can be enforced under the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.
Depending on the circumstances, CAS awards may be enforced by sports federations or by state courts.
