The Rabat Final and the Walkout That Triggered a Continental Crisis
Senegal will remain in suspense until the end of November 2026 to discover whether its legal team can successfully overturn a contentious Confederation of African Football decision that stripped the nation of the Africa Cup of Nations crown won on the pitch against Morocco.
The high-stakes dispute stems from the dramatic final match of the tournament held in Rabat, where the visiting Senegalese side defeated the host nation 1-0 after extra time. The fixture descended into chaos late in regulation time when several Senegal players walked off the pitch and headed to the dressing room in protest after the referee awarded a penalty against them.
Morocco subsequently missed the spot-kick, and Pape Gueye netted the decisive goal for Senegal during the extra period.
CAF’s March Intervention Overturns the Pitch Victory
However, the Confederation of African Football appeals panel intervened in March, overturning the on-field result. CAF stripped the Teranga Lions of the trophy, ruling that the team’s temporary exit constituted an unauthorized walkout, and awarded Morocco a 3-0 default victory and the championship title.
The Senegalese Football Federation formally appealed that decision on March 25, arguing that the match referee’s decisions are final and that the official permitted the game to reach its conclusion on the pitch.
Behind Closed Doors in Lausanne With the Arbitration Panel
Legal arguments from Senegal, Morocco, and the Confederation of African Football were heard behind closed doors in Lausanne on October 8. While sport’s highest court initially indicated that a verdict would arrive within days of the hearing, the three-man arbitration panel ultimately changed course.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced in Lausanne that its arbitrators have opted to issue a comprehensive ruling complete with detailed legal grounds rather than a summary judgment. According to the court’s statement, this thorough judicial process will require several weeks, pushing the final CAS Award to the end of next month.
Senegal’s Teranga Lions to Wait Till End of November for CAS VerdictSenegal will have to wait till end of November to know if they have succeeded in upturning CAF’s boardroom decision to take away the AFCON 2025 title they won on pic.twitter.com/f4AfP7ubbh
The Three-Man Tribunal and the Focus on Procedure
The panel is chaired by French sports law specialist Gerald Simon, alongside Italian international law professor Luigi Fumagalli and Hamburg-based lawyer and University of Zurich professor Ulrich Haas. Speaking outside the hearing earlier in October, CAS director general Matthieu Reeb noted that the discussions focused heavily on procedural issues and legal aspects rather than contested facts.
Binding Force Under the New York Convention
When the CAS Award is finally handed down at the end of November, it will carry the same legal weight as a national court judgment under the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. This binding decision can then be directly enforced by international sports federations or state courts.
If the arbitration panel rules in Senegal’s favour, the Teranga Lions will be officially reinstated as continental champions. If the appeal is dismissed, Morocco will be permanently confirmed as the titleholders of the 2025 edition, closing a dispute that has lingered for nearly a year.
