CAN 2025 Final: Morocco-Senegal Verdict Due in November
The CAS in Lausanne will rule in late November on Senegal's appeal against CAF's awarding of the CAN 2025 title to Morocco, after the October 8 hearing.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), based in Lausanne, has set the end of November as the deadline to rule on the appeal filed by the Senegalese Football Federation against the awarding of the CAN 2025 final title to Morocco, after a closed-door hearing held on Thursday, October 8. The ruling, expected to be final, will decide which country officially keeps the continental title.
Origins of the dispute
Morocco lost the final, played on January 18, 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat in front of 66,526 spectators, 1-0 after extra time. In stoppage time, the referee had awarded Morocco a penalty; several Senegalese players and staff then left the pitch to protest the decision, halting the match for more than 15 minutes before they returned after negotiations and Brahim Díaz took the penalty with a Panenka attempt, saved by Senegalese goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. Following this episode, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) lodged an appeal with CAF.
On March 17, 2026, the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) appeal committee upheld that appeal, ruling that the Senegalese federation had breached Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations over its team's conduct, declaring Senegal forfeited and Morocco the 3-0 winner and champion. On March 25, 2026, the Senegalese federation countered with an appeal to CAS, seeking to overturn CAF's decision and be recognized as champion.
Alongside the title, the appeal committee also revised several financial sanctions against the FRMF and its player Ismael Saibari:
| Incident | Final decision |
|---|---|
| Unauthorized entry into the VAR zone | $100,000 fine upheld |
| Conduct of ball boys | Fine reduced to $50,000 |
| Laser pointers from spectators | Fine reduced to $10,000 |
| Player Ismael Saibari | $100,000 fine cancelled; suspension reduced to 2 matches (1 suspended) |
What's next?
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the confederation is awaiting the CAS ruling, which will be final on the title's fate. The court urged caution about information circulating on the case, stressing that only its official communications are authoritative. Until the ruling, the CAN 2025 title remains suspended between Morocco and Senegal, while Morocco's national team prepares to face Niger on November 13 and 17 in CAN 2027 qualifiers.