Senegal Fight Back: CAS Appeal Filed as Africa Cup Row Shows No Sign of Settling

It was always going to end up in court. After one of the most contentious finishes in recent African football history, Senegal have formally taken their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, challenging the decision that stripped them of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations title and handed it to Morocco instead.

The Senegalese Football Federation lodged the appeal this week, asking CAS to set aside the ruling made by a CAF appeals board and restore their 1-0 victory over Morocco as the official result. They are also requesting that the deadline to submit a full appeal brief be suspended until the CAF decision is formally communicated with complete grounds attached. That last point matters more than it might sound. You cannot properly contest a ruling if you have not yet been given all the reasons behind it.

To recap what happened: Senegal won the final in January, beating Morocco by a single goal. Then, in the weeks that followed, CAF’s appeals board overturned the result, declaring Morocco the champions on a 3-0 forfeit ruling. Their reasoning was that Senegal had briefly walked off the pitch in protest at a penalty awarded to the hosts deep into stoppage time. The decision was widely criticised, and the anger among Senegalese players, officials and supporters was entirely understandable. A team that had won the tournament on the field had effectively been handed a defeat at a desk.

CAS confirmed on Wednesday that the process has now been formally set in motion. An arbitral panel will be appointed to hear the case, though the organisation was candid about one thing: nobody should expect a quick resolution. Given the procedural complexity of cases like this, where both sides must submit legal arguments before a hearing can even be scheduled, CAS said it was simply not possible to put a timeline on proceedings.

Matthieu Reeb, the organisation’s director general, acknowledged the frustration that players and fans will inevitably feel. “We understand that teams and fans are eager to know the final decision,” he said, “and we will ensure that arbitration proceedings are conducted as swiftly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing.”

That balance, between speed and fairness, is exactly the tension at the heart of this whole affair. For now, the Lions of Teranga wait. So does everyone else.