African football has been thrown into fresh uncertainty after the Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS, provisionally suspended a controversial ruling that stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco.
In an interim decision issued this week, CAS accepted Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football Appeals Board and ordered a “freeze” on the implementation of its verdict.
The decision effectively places the 2025 AFCON title in legal limbo pending a full hearing by the tribunal.
The dispute stems from a chaotic final played in January 2026, in which Senegal defeated hosts Morocco 1–0 after extra time.
Drama unfolded late in the match when a contentious penalty was awarded to Morocco. Although the kick was missed, Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest before returning to complete the game.
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Weeks later, Morocco’s federation challenged the result, and around March 17, CAF’s Appeals Board ruled in their favor, overturning the outcome to a 3–0 victory and stripping Senegal of the title.
Senegal condemned the decision as unjust and appealed to CAS, which has now granted provisional measures, warning that enforcing CAF’s ruling before a full hearing could cause irreparable harm.
As a result, AFCON 2025 currently has no officially recognized champion, with a final ruling from CAS expected in the coming months while CAF has pledged to abide by the tribunal’s decision.
In its media statement, CAF said, “The Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match… with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.”
However, the decision sparked widespread debate, with critics arguing it undermines the spirit of the game played on the pitch.
Senegal’s football federation also condemned the ruling and confirmed it will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A CAS verdict could take up to a year.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe also defended the process, stating that no nation will be favored and emphasizing the need to uphold the integrity of the competition’s regulations.
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