Senegal’s attempt to reclaim the Africa Cup of Nations title will remain unresolved for several more weeks, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport expecting to deliver its decision at the end of November.

The Swiss-based tribunal announced the timeline on Monday, October 19, after hearing the dispute behind closed doors in Lausanne on October 8. Its arbitration panel is continuing deliberations and will publish a complete ruling setting out both its decision and the legal reasons behind it.

The update extends the uncertainty surrounding a championship Senegal won on the pitch before a subsequent CAF appeal ruling handed the title to Morocco.

Senegal defeated the tournament hosts 1–0 after extra time in the January 18 final in Rabat. However, the match was disrupted when Senegalese players left the field in protest against a late penalty awarded to Morocco. Play eventually resumed, and Senegal went on to win. The dispute then moved from the stadium to CAF’s disciplinary and appeals processes.

On March 17, CAF’s Appeal Board upheld an appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and set aside the earlier disciplinary decision. The board ruled that Senegal’s conduct fell within Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations and declared the team to have forfeited the final. It consequently recorded a 3–0 result in Morocco’s favour.

Senegal challenged that decision at CAS on March 25, seeking to have the ruling overturned and their continental title restored. The October hearing considered arguments from the Senegalese federation, CAF and the Moroccan federation.

Although a decision had initially been anticipated within days of the hearing, CAS has opted to deliver its findings together with the detailed legal grounds. Preparing that full award will require additional time, with the court identifying the end of November as its expected publication period.

The central dispute concerns whether Senegal’s departure from the pitch justified the forfeiture imposed by CAF, despite the match subsequently resuming and ending in a Senegal victory. CAF’s Appeal Board has already ruled that the team’s actions breached the tournament regulations; Senegal’s appeal seeks to overturn that finding and its consequences.cafonline+1

For now, Morocco remain the beneficiaries of CAF’s decision, while Senegal await the outcome of their challenge. CAS has not announced an exact date for the award or disclosed any indication of the panel’s eventual verdict