The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has fixed October 8 for the hearing of Senegal’s appeal against the decision that stripped the country of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and awarded it to hosts Morocco.
CAS announced on Friday that the case would be heard behind closed doors at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, adding that no date had been set for the delivery of its verdict.
The appeal process continued throughout the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, during which Morocco reached the quarter-finals while Senegal exited in the Round of 32 following defeat to Belgium.
The dispute stems from the dramatic AFCON final played in Rabat in January, where Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 after extra time.
The match was overshadowed by controversy after Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest when Morocco was awarded a stoppage-time penalty. Play was suspended for about 15 minutes before the penalty was eventually taken and saved.
Although Senegal completed the match and secured victory on the field, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) later overturned the result.
Several weeks after the final, CAF’s appeal panel ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match by leaving the field of play during the protest and subsequently awarded the championship to Morocco.
The decision has been widely debated, with critics arguing that it contradicts the Laws of the Game, which generally regard the referee’s decisions made during a match as final.
Senegal is now seeking to have the CAS overturn CAF’s ruling and restore the AFCON title it originally won on the pitch.