AFCON in Legal Limbo: CAS Ghosts Out the Trophy as Senegal, Morocco Face Off in Court
23 March 2026
Background
Rumors swirl after reports that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has accepted Senegal's appeal and ordered a stay on CAF's decision to award the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to Morocco. Algerian newspaper El Shorouk reported a precautionary measure suspending CAF's ruling until a final verdict is issued, keeping the title in a legal limbo. No official CAS statement has confirmed these reports.
Current status
The controversy stems from CAF's decision to crown Morocco after Senegal withdrew from the final, which led CAF to rule a 3-0 defeat for Senegal. Senegal has formally appealed to CAS, seeking to halt the decision and reclaim the title. Inside CAF, accounts reportedly vary about the appellate committee's procedures, with some members denying attendance at crucial meetings, fueling further debate about the outcome.
As the legal process moves forward, CAS has not issued a position confirming acceptance of the appeal or any suspension. The fate of the AFCON 2025 title remains unresolved pending the court's decision.
Poll: readers are invited to vote on whether Mohamed Salah can bring the AFCON title to Egypt.
Meanwhile, the controversy has kept attention on CAF and the CAS process, highlighting how the competition's outcome can hinge on legal interpretations as much as on the pitch.
Punchlines to brighten the suspense: 1) If CAS officiates as slowly as a midfielder in extra time, the trophy will age into a fossil. 2) The Morocco-Senegal affair proves that in football, the most dramatic drama often happens off the field—and in court.
