African football has been plunged into fresh uncertainty after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a provisional “freeze” on the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco.
In an interim ruling delivered this week, CAS accepted Senegal’s appeal against CAF’s Appeals Board verdict and ordered a halt to the implementation of its decision.
The move places the 2025 AFCON title in legal limbo pending a full hearing.
As of 24 March 2026, there is no officially recognised winner of the tournament. The trophy remains in Senegal, with the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) refusing to hand it over until CAS delivers a final judgment.
CAF had updated its official records on 18 March to list Morocco as champions, but the CAS freeze prevents any further recognition or formal presentation of that decision.
The dispute originates from a chaotic final played in January 2026, when Senegal defeated hosts Morocco 1–0 after extra time.
The match took a dramatic turn late on after a controversial penalty was awarded to Morocco.
Although the spot kick was missed, Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest, causing confusion before play resumed and the match was completed.
Weeks later, Morocco’s federation challenged the result, citing AFCON regulations relating to match forfeiture.
On 17 March, CAF’s Appeals Board ruled in Morocco’s favour, determining that Senegal’s walk-off constituted a breach serious enough to forfeit the match.
The result was overturned to a 3–0 victory for Morocco, with Senegal stripped of the title.
Senegal strongly condemned the ruling as unjust and escalated the matter to CAS, arguing that the sanction was disproportionate and undermined the integrity of the result achieved on the pitch.
CAS has now sided, at least temporarily, with Senegal’s request for urgent intervention. By granting provisional measures, the tribunal indicated that enforcing CAF’s ruling before a full hearing could cause irreparable harm, particularly in a case involving the withdrawal of a major continental title.
The immediate consequence is that AFCON 2025 has no officially recognised champion, with the trophy effectively unassigned while legal proceedings continue.
A final ruling from CAS is expected in the coming months, following a comprehensive review of submissions from both sides.
Senegal will push for reinstatement of their 1–0 victory, while Morocco is expected to argue that the temporary walk-off amounted to a regulatory forfeiture.
CAF has stated it will abide by the tribunal’s final decision.
Until then, one of the most dramatic and contentious title disputes in African football remains unresolved, as the continent awaits a definitive verdict on the rightful champions.
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