CAS to hear Senegal appeal over AFCON title awarded to Morocco

What the report says

The Court of Arbitration for Sport is set to hear Senegal’s appeal on Thursday in Lausanne over the disputed 2026 Africa Cup of Nations title, after the Confederation of African Football awarded the championship to Morocco. According to Al Jazeera’s report, Senegal are seeking to have the original result restored after beating Morocco 1-0 in extra time in January’s final in Rabat.

The case stems from a 14-minute protest by Senegal late in regulation time, when players briefly left the pitch after a penalty was given against them. Morocco missed the spot kick, Senegal later scored in extra time, and appeared to have won the tournament. Two months later, CAF’s Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited by walking off, overturned the result, and declared Morocco winners by a 3-0 scoreline.

Al Jazeera reports that a three-member CAS panel will hear arguments from Senegal, Morocco and CAF behind closed doors. Senegal are expected to argue that refereeing decisions during play are final under the Laws of the Game, while Morocco and CAF are likely to rely on tournament rules covering a team that refuses to play or leaves the field without permission. CAS said it would not issue a decision on the hearing date.

The dispute matters because it affects the official record of one of African football’s biggest tournaments and could clarify how governing-body rules interact with match officials’ authority. Qualification for AFCON 2027 has already begun, underscoring that the ruling could have broader sporting and administrative implications.