Senegal gets CAS date for appeal to regain AFCON from Morocco

What the report says

Al Jazeera, carrying an Associated Press report, says Senegal’s challenge over the Africa Cup of Nations title dispute with Morocco has been scheduled for October 8 at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. CAS said the case will be heard privately at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and did not set a timetable for issuing a ruling.

The case stems from the AFCON final in Rabat in January, when Senegal defeated host Morocco 1-0 after extra time in a match marked by a stoppage-time controversy. According to the report, Senegal’s players left the field for about 15 minutes after Morocco was awarded a late penalty, which was ultimately saved. Several weeks later, Confederation of African Football appeal judges awarded the title to Morocco after ruling that Senegal had defaulted by walking off.

The AP report notes that preparations for the CAS appeal continued during the World Cup, where Morocco reached the quarterfinals and Senegal were eliminated in the round of 32 by Belgium. It also says CAS panels often take months to deliver decisions after hearings.

The outcome matters because it could determine whether Senegal are restored as AFCON champions or whether Morocco retain the title awarded through CAF’s disciplinary process. More broadly, the case places a major continental football decision before sport’s highest arbitration body, with questions around match abandonment, referee authority and post-match disciplinary rulings central to the dispute.