CAS Confirms Hearing Date for AFCON 2025 Final Dispute Between Senegal and Morocco
- The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed a hearing date for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final dispute between Senegal and Morocco
- The row began after Senegal walked off the pitch during the final to protest a penalty call, before returning to win the match 1-0
- CAF's Appeal Board stripped Senegal of the title and awarded it to Morocco, prompting the Senegalese Football Federation to take the case to CAS
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed that it will hear the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title dispute between Senegal and Morocco on October 8, 2026, at 9:30am in Lausanne, Switzerland.
CAS issued an official statement confirming the date after months without any public update on the case. Representatives from the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSS), and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will all be present at the hearing.
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All parties agreed to conduct proceedings in French, and the session will be closed to the media. The verdict is expected to follow at a date to be announced after the hearing concludes.
How AFCON final controversy unfolded
The dispute traces back to the 2025 AFCON final, in which Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 through a Pape Gueye goal. The match was disrupted when Senegal's players left the pitch to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco.
Sadio Mane stepped in to calm his teammates and persuaded them to return. Morocco's Brahim Diaz then missed the spot kick, and Senegal went on to claim the trophy.
CAF's Disciplinary Committee subsequently handed out fines and suspensions to players and officials from both sides for various offences committed during and around the incident.
Morocco challenged those decisions before CAF's Appeal Board, which ultimately reversed the outcome, stripped Senegal of the AFCON title, and awarded it to Morocco instead. Senegal takes the fight to CAS
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The Senegalese Football Federation refused to accept the Appeal Board's ruling and took the matter to CAS, the Switzerland-based body that serves as the highest court in international sport.
The October 8 hearing will give all three parties — the two football federations and CAF — the opportunity to present their arguments before an independent panel.
No timeline for a final verdict has been confirmed, but CAS said the schedule for delivering its ruling would be communicated after the hearing.
FIFA drops Ndala for World Cup duties
Legit.ng previously reported that FIFA dropped Jean-Jacques Ndala from 2026 FIFA World Cup duties after he officiated the controversial AFCON 2025 final.
The Congolese referee was faulted by many fans for failing to control the game and for not applying the rules when Senegal walked out.
Source: Legit.ng
