AFCON 2025: the CAS hears Senegal's appeal over the final, and the title is still undecided
Senegal won the January final 1-0 on the pitch, but CAF recorded a 3-0 forfeit win for Morocco. CAS heard the appeal on 8 October.
Who won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is still being decided. On the pitch, Senegal beat hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the final in Rabat on 18 January 2026. In the official record, Morocco won 3-0. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) heard Senegal's appeal in Lausanne on 8 October 2026.
What happened in the final
Pape Gueye scored the winning goal in extra time. The match was disrupted when Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty: Senegal's players were led off the pitch by coach Pape Thiaw for around 15 minutes. Brahim Diaz's attempted Panenka was then saved by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
The ruling and the appeal
On 17 March 2026 the CAF Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the final, because a team that leaves the pitch without the referee's permission forfeits the match under the tournament rules. The result was recorded as a 3-0 win for Morocco. The Senegalese federation appealed to CAS on 25 March (case 2026/A/12295), asking for the on-field result to be restored.
When will CAS decide?
Reports differ: ESPN said the parties were told to expect a decision within days; Complete Sports said CAS was expected to rule by mid-November; Morocco World News said no date had been set. As of 13 October 2026 no verdict had been published. The panel is not replaying the final: it is considering whether CAF applied its rules correctly.
In context: until CAS rules, this site lists Morocco as the official 2025 champion and notes the dispute.
Sources: CAF, ESPN, Euronews, Morocco World News, Complete Sports.
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