The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) convenes in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday to hear Senegal's appeal challenging the removal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title — a hearing that could reshape the continent's most prestigious footballing honour.

How the dispute unfolded

Senegal's legal challenge centres on the turbulent final played in Rabat, where the Lions of Teranga initially edged tournament hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time. That on-field triumph was overturned months later when the CAF Appeal Board determined that Senegal's 14-minute walk-off — staged in protest of a contentious late penalty call — constituted a formal match abandonment.

The ruling stripped Senegal of the continental title and handed Morocco a 3-0 forfeit victory, transferring the AFCON crown from Dakar to Rabat in an unprecedented post-tournament reversal.

What happens at Thursday's hearing

A specially appointed three-member CAS panel will listen to oral arguments from legal representatives of the Senegalese Football Federation, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), all behind closed doors.

Senegal's legal team will press for the original result to be reinstated, contending that a temporary, emotionally charged protest on the pitch does not legally amount to a forfeiture under AFCON tournament regulations.

CAS officials have made clear, however, that Thursday's session will not produce an immediate verdict. The three-member panel will enter a private deliberation phase after the oral arguments before publishing its binding decision at a date yet to be confirmed.

What is at stake

The outcome will determine whether the 2025 AFCON trophy remains in Morocco's possession or is returned to Senegal — a question that carries enormous weight for both nations and for the governance of African football as a whole. The binding CAS ruling, whenever it arrives, will be final.