The appeal concerns a decision made by CAF on 17 March 2026 declaring that the Senegalese national team lost the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 by forfeit and awarding the victory to the Moroccan national team with a score of 3-0. Registered by the CAS on 25 March 2026, the appeal concludes that the CAF decision should be overturned and the FSF declared the winner of the AFCON. The FSF also requests the immediate suspension of the deadline for filing the appeal brief until the full reasons for the CAF decision are notified. The CAF decision of 17 March 2026 contained only the verdict of the CAF Appeals Board. A CAS Arbitration Panel will be appointed to rule on this case, following which a procedural timetable will be established. In accordance with the CAS Rules of Procedure, an appellant has a period of twenty days to file a statement of appeal containing its legal arguments, after which the respondents have a further twenty days to submit a reply containing the defenses. At this stage of the proceedings and given the request for a stay of proceedings filed by the FSF, it is not yet possible to anticipate the procedural deadlines, nor to indicate when a hearing will be scheduled.
Mr. Matthieu Reeb, Director General of the CAS, commented: “The CAS is perfectly equipped to resolve this type of dispute, with the help of specialized and independent arbitrators.”
We are aware that the teams and fans want to know the final decision as soon as possible and we will ensure that the arbitration process can be carried out as quickly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair trial.” This document is an unofficial summary for the media. The CAS will provide the media with updated information on the hearing, if one is scheduled. Ongoing proceedings are confidential.
