CAS Sets October 8 hearing in AFCON 2025 title dispute

By Angu LESLEY

Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has scheduled 8 October 2026 for the hearing that will determine the outcome of Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to strip the Teranga Lions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to hosts Morocco.

In a statement released on Friday, CAS confirmed that the hearing will take place behind closed doors at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, after none of the parties requested a public session. The date was fixed following consultations with all parties involved.

The dispute stems from the dramatic AFCON final played in Rabat on 18 January 2026. Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 after extra time, with Pape Gueye scoring the winner, despite a lengthy interruption after Senegal’s players temporarily walked off the pitch in protest over a controversial penalty awarded to Morocco late in normal time. Brahim Díaz eventually missed the penalty after play resumed.

However, in March, CAF’s Appeals Board overturned the on-field result, ruling that Senegal had forfeited the match by leaving the field of play. The governing body subsequently awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory by default, officially crowning the Atlas Lions as African champions. Senegal’s Football Federation (FSF) appealed the decision to CAS on 25 March, seeking to have the CAF ruling annulled and the original match result reinstated.

CAS has also clarified that no final verdict will be delivered on the day of the hearing. Instead, the arbitration panel will begin its deliberations after hearing submissions from all parties, with the final decision expected at a later date.

The announcement finally puts an end to weeks of speculation fueled by fake documents and false social media reports claiming CAS had already ruled in Senegal’s favour. The sports tribunal has repeatedly stressed that no decision has yet been taken and that only information published through its official channels should be considered authentic.

The ruling, whenever it arrives, will bring closure to one of the most controversial chapters in African football history. CAS will either uphold CAF’s decision, confirming Morocco as the official 2025 AFCON champions, or overturn the ruling and restore the title to Senegal.