Senegal gets CAS date for appeal to regain AFCON from Morocco

Senegal's challenge to reverse the Africa Cup of Nations title decision will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on October 8, the court announced Friday. The hearing will take place at CAS headquarters in Lausanne and will be conducted in private, with no predetermined schedule for the judges to deliver their ruling. The dispute stems from the January final held in Morocco, where Senegal defeated the host nation 1-0 after extra time in circumstances marked by significant disruption. During the match, Senegal's players temporarily left the field and halted play for approximately 15 minutes after Morocco was awarded a penalty kick in stoppage time, which was ultimately saved. Following the match, African football's governing body ruled that Senegal had forfeited by abandoning the field, subsequently awarding the title to Morocco. Senegal has contested this decision, arguing that the referee's determination during play should be final according to football's established rules. The appeal process has been ongoing since the original ruling several weeks after the final, with both teams having competed in the World Cup in the interim period.