Senegal/Morocco: the CAS verdict expected at the end of November

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will not decide for several weeks the dispute between the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) and the CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). The Lausanne-based body announced this Monday, October 19, that its sentence is expected at the end of November 2026.

Lions supporters will still have to wait. In a press release published this Monday, the CAS takes stock of the procedure initiated by the FSF after the CAN 2025 final. It indicates that the arbitration panel has begun its deliberations and is currently continuing them.

According to the institution, the arbitrators chose to render a complete decision, with its legal reasons: the “CAS award”. This work will take several weeks. The decision is expected at the end of November 2026.

The hearing was held behind closed doors on Thursday October 8, 2026, at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. The CAS had, however, specified in advance that no decision would be rendered on the day of the hearing. hespress

The CAS also reminds that only information disseminated through its own channels is official. Any announcements on this matter will be published on its website. Already in July, the institution said it had become aware of erroneous information circulating about this procedure. pile-cas

As a reminder, Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final, on January 18, 2026 in Rabat. The meeting was marked by incidents: the Senegalese players refused to continue the match after a penalty deemed controversial, awarded to Morocco in added time when the score was 0-0. The match finally resumed.

The CAF Appeal Jury, contacted by the FRMF, then overturned a first decision of the Disciplinary Jury rendered at the end of January. On March 17, he ruled that the FSF had violated article 82 of the regulation. He declared the match lost by forfeit for Senegal, with a score of 3-0 in favor of Morocco, in application of article 84.

Registered by the CAS on March 25, 2026, the FSF’s appeal requests the annulment of this decision and that Senegal be declared the winner of the CAN. The CAS sentence must put a definitive end to the dispute arising from this final.