CAS Hands Morocco a May 7 Deadline In Dispute Over Senegal AFCON Final

West Africa WeeklyApril 30, 20262 Mins read14

The legal battle over the controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final has entered a decisive new phase, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport ordering the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to submit its defence by May 7, 2026. CAS has officially fixed that date as the key deadline in a high profile dispute that continues to cast a shadow over the tournament’s conclusion.

The case stems from one of the most chaotic finals in African football history. On January 18, 2025, hosts Morocco and Senegal met in the final at the Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat. With the game goalless in stoppage time, referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty following a VAR review for a challenge by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim Diaz. Outraged by the decision, Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest and refused to restart the game for nearly 20 minutes. They eventually returned after being coaxed back by captain Sadio Mane. Diaz took the penalty, but his kick was saved. Senegal then scored in extra time through Pape Gueye to win the match 1-0 and claim what appeared to be their second continental title.

Senegal’s joy was short lived. Morocco filed an appeal with the Confederation of African Football, arguing that Senegal had breached tournament regulations by abandoning the pitch. On March 17, 2026, CAF’s appeals committee upheld the Moroccan protest, ruling that Senegal had forfeited the match. The result was changed from a 1-0 Senegal victory to a 3-0 win for Morocco. CAF declared the Atlas Lions champions and handed them the trophy, sparking fury across Senegal and beyond.

The Senegalese Football Federation refused to accept the ruling. On March 25, 2026, it filed a formal appeal with CAS, the world’s highest sports tribunal. The appeal seeks to set aside the CAF decision and declare Senegal the winners of AFCON 2025. CAS director general Matthieu Reeb stated at the time that the court would ensure arbitration proceedings were conducted as swiftly as possible while respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing.

Now CAS has set a firm deadline. Morocco has until May 7, 2026 to submit its defence brief and counterarguments. Senegalese legal representatives are expected to argue that procedural irregularities and possible breaches of competition regulations influenced the outcome of the final. Morocco’s legal team will defend CAF’s original ruling, maintaining that Senegals decision to abandon the match left officials with no choice but to enforce a forfeit under CAF regulations.

A CAS hearing is expected to be scheduled shortly after the Moroccan defence is submitted. In a twist, some reports have described May 7 as the hearing date itself, while others refer to it as the filing deadline for Morocco’s response. Regardless of the precise procedural detail, the first week of May has become the focal point for resolving one of African football’s most bitter legal disputes.

The case has drawn intense attention across the continent and beyond. CAF president Patrice Motsepe has said he respects the right of African nations to appeal to CAS and would accept the final ruling. Meanwhile, Morocco retains the official title and will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as AFCON 2025 champions, though that status remains subject to the CAS outcome.

If CAS upholds Senegal’s appeal, the result could be overturned and Senegal reinstated as champions. Remedies being sought include the annulment of the forfeit decision and potentially a replay of the final. If the court confirms Morocco as winners, the controversy will finally be put to rest, though the bitterness among Senegalese players and fans is unlikely to fade quickly.

For now, African football waits. The May 7 deadline will determine the next step in a saga that has already rewritten the record books once and may yet do so again.