The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has officially confirmed that a definitive ruling regarding Senegal's appeal over being stripped of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations title will be issued at the end of November. In a statement released on Monday, the court indicated that the thorough legal process will require several additional weeks, with the comprehensive CAS Award containing detailed legal grounds expected at the end of November 2026.

Senegal is actively contesting the controversial decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to declare Morocco as tournament champions, despite Senegal having defeated the hosts 1-0 after extra time in January’s highly charged final in Rabat. The complex arguments presented by Senegal, Morocco, and CAF were heard by a CAS panel in Lausanne on October 8, drawing intense scrutiny from international sports observers.

While CAS initially suggested that a verdict could be expected within days of the hearing, the judicial body has ultimately opted to issue a complete, reasoned ruling. The underlying dispute stems from an incident where several Senegal players walked off the pitch in protest for 14 minutes after a late penalty was awarded against them during regulation time. Morocco subsequently missed the resulting spot-kick, forcing the match into extra time where Senegal scored the decisive winner.

However, just two months later, the CAF Appeal Board overturned the result, ruling that Senegal had allegedly forfeited the match by walking off the field, thereby awarding a 3-0 victory to Morocco. Senegal swiftly filed an appeal with CAS on March 25, though the proceedings took approximately six months to reach a hearing. The core legal argument of the Senegalese side rests on the principle that the referee's decisions on the pitch are final and that the official permitted the match to reach its natural conclusion.

Source: www.aljazeera.com