Senegal scheduled for October hearing in bid to reclaim AFCON title

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has scheduled a hearing for 8 October to hear Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to strip the national team of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title. The hearing will be held behind closed doors at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, with no target date set for the final verdict.

Senegal originally defeated host nation Morocco 1-0 in extra time during the January final in Rabat. However, the match concluded chaotically when Senegal players walked off the pitch for 15 minutes after Morocco was awarded a stoppage-time penalty kick, which was subsequently saved. Several weeks later, CAF appeal judges ruled that Senegal had defaulted the game by leaving the field, awarding the title to Morocco.

The administrative ruling by CAF has drawn criticism for potentially conflicting with established football laws, which dictate that the referee’s decision on the field of play is final. Senegal’s legal team has argued that the default ruling ignores these standard regulations, forming the basis of their appeal to the international sports court.

Preparation for the CAS appeal was underway throughout the recent World Cup, where Morocco reached the quarterfinals and Senegal was eliminated in the round of 32 by Belgium. The appeal process has now moved to the formal hearing stage, though the timeline for a decision remains open.

CAS judges typically require several months to review cases and announce their decisions. As the hearing is conducted behind closed doors, the outcome of the appeal remains uncertain, with no immediate reversal of the CAF ruling guaranteed.