Morocco Awarded Africa Cup Title After Senegal Forfeit
CAF's appeals committee ruled Senegal lost the final 3-0 after leaving the pitch, a decision Senegal is contesting before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Football
The Confederation of African Football's appeals committee ruled that Morocco won the Africa Cup of Nations final 3-0 after Senegal refused to continue playing and left the pitch without the referee's permission. Senegal has appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the appeal does not suspend CAF's ruling.
Why it matters
The decision changes the cup's holder while the appeal is pending, and a CAS ruling upholding CAF would hand Morocco the title and require an exchange of medals. The case turns on how forfeit rules apply to a team that walks off during a final.
CAF's appeals committee applied a 3-0 forfeit score under Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations. Analyst Romain Bizini estimates a 75% chance the CAF decision will stand, though the case reasoning has not been released.
The players
Confederation of African Football (CAF)
CAF is the governing body of African football, responsible for organizing the Africa Cup of Nations and enforcing its regulations.
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
CAS is the international tribunal that resolves disputes in sports, and it will decide Senegal's appeal of the CAF ruling.
Romain Bizini
Bizini is an analyst who estimates a 75% chance that CAF's decision stands and Morocco remains continental champion.
The details
CAF's appeals committee decided that Senegal refused to continue playing and left the pitch during the final without the referee's permission. Under the tournament regulations, a team leaving the pitch without permission is deemed the loser, and CAF's regulations do not provide for a replay of the match.
Timeline
The Africa Cup of Nations final was played, with Senegal leaving the pitch during the match.
Senegal filed its appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport after CAF's ruling.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to issue its final ruling at the end of November 2026.
The Big Picture
The ruling applies Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, which make a team that leaves the pitch without permission the loser by a 3-0 score. It is the first application of that forfeit penalty to a title decision, and the outcome will depend on how the Court of Arbitration for Sport reads those articles.
A CAS ruling upholding CAF would strip Senegal of its victory and reassign the Africa Cup of Nations to Morocco with an exchange of medals. Until that decision, Morocco remains the tournament's holder, which affects how the title is recorded in official standings.
The takeaway
Forfeit rules can decide a title even when the match was played, so the final CAS decision will set a precedent for how walk-offs in major finals are treated.
What happens next
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to issue its final ruling at the end of November 2026, which will determine whether Morocco keeps the title.
Further reading
Follow the latest developments in Football as the Court of Arbitration for Sport weighs Senegal's appeal.
