We will finally find out who the African champion is in October

The long-standing dispute over the 2025/2026 Africa Cup of Nations title is heading to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, with a hearing scheduled for October 8. This date marks a crucial step in determining whether Morocco will retain the championship or if Senegal will be awarded the title following an appeal.

The case began on March 25 when the Senegalese Football Federation filed a complaint against the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Senegal is demanding the annulment of CAF's final decision and the official recognition of their championship title. The process is following standard procedure, as no agreement was reached for an expedited review, leading to the extended timeline.

The core of the dispute lies in CAF's Appeals Committee decision on March 17, which reversed the outcome of the final match played on January 18. Although Senegal secured a 1-0 victory on the field, the title was initially stripped from them. This reversal stemmed from an incident during extra time when Senegalese players temporarily left the pitch to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco. Despite Morocco failing to convert the penalty, CAF later registered the match in favor of Morocco, citing disciplinary rule violations related to leaving the field of play.

The Senegalese federation views this as an "administrative theft" and is seeking justice through CAS. The arbitration court has the power to either uphold CAF's decision, leaving the trophy with Morocco, or overturn it and return the title to Senegal based on the on-field result. The outcome remains highly uncertain, adding significant weight to this legal battle.

CAS has also cautioned against the proliferation of inaccurate information circulating on social media and online portals, emphasizing that only official CAS statements are reliable sources. They recently had to publicly deny claims that a decision had already been made in favor of Senegal. The final verdict is expected in October, concluding months of legal contention.

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Senegalese federation considers this an unfair decision and administrative theft.