A long-running dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title is set to move forward this fall, as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed a formal hearing date for Senegal’s challenge against the decision to strip the nation of its tournament victory.
The controversy traces back to January’s chaotic final, hosted by Morocco. The match took a dramatic turn late in regulation when officials awarded Morocco a stoppage-time penalty with the score still tied at zero. In protest of the call, Senegal’s entire squad walked off the pitch, forcing a 17-minute suspension of play. When the team ultimately returned to the field, Moroccan playmaker Brahim Diaz saw his penalty saved by Senegal’s goalkeeper, and Pape Gueye scored the decisive go-ahead goal for Senegal in extra time, securing a 1-0 final win.
Weeks after the match, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the on-pitch result, ruling that Senegal had forfeited the game by walking off. Caf awarded Morocco a default 3-0 victory and named the host nation the new 2025 Afcon champion. Senegal, which previously claimed the 2021 Afcon title, refuted Caf’s ruling and formally filed its appeal with CAS on March 25, asking the international sports court to overturn Caf’s decision and restore its status as tournament winner.
Negotiations to speed up the appeal process fell through after Caf and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) declined to approve an expedited timeline. CAS confirmed that the hearing will proceed on October 8, in line with the court’s standard procedural schedule. Per the request of both Caf and FRMF, the hearing will not be open to the public, and will instead be held behind closed doors at CAS’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. CAS has noted that it cannot confirm a timeline for releasing a final ruling on the appeal, and that a decision will not be issued on the same day as the hearing.