Imagine winning the Africa Cup of Nations on the pitch in Rabat, only to have the trophy taken away two months later. That is exactly what happened to Senegal.

In a twist worthy of a Netflix documentary, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed it will not decide Senegal's AFCON appeal until the end of November 2026, according to cbinews.tv.

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Back in January, Senegal beat hosts Morocco 1 nil after extra time in a fiery final in Rabat. But the game will be remembered for those chaotic 14 minutes late in normal time.

Senegal walked off. Several players actually went down the tunnel after a penalty was awarded against them. After missing the spot kick, the Lions of Teranga came back out, and they went on to score the winner.

It felt like classic AFCON drama. We have seen it before, from crowd trouble in the 70s to Zambia's fairytale in 2012 after tragedy; this tournament has always been emotional. Senegal themselves only won their first-ever title in 2022 after years of near misses.

But in March, CAF's Appeal Board dropped a bombshell. They ruled that by leaving the pitch, Senegal had forfeited the match. Result overturned. 3 nil awarded to Morocco. Champions declared.

Think about the players. One minute you are celebrating in front of thousands, lifting a nation's hopes. Senegal has 18 million people who live and breathe football. The next, you are told that protest cost you everything. For Morocco too, it is bittersweet. No team wants to win a trophy in a boardroom.

This is bigger than one trophy, reports cbinews.tv. It is about what happens when respect for the referee clashes with a sense of injustice on the pitch. If Senegal's argument that the referee's decision is final and he allowed the game to finish holds, it could set a huge precedent for world football.

CAS heard all sides, Senegal, Morocco and CAF, in Lausanne on October 8. CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb had earlier said a decision would come within days. Now CAS says it wants to issue a full Award, with full legal grounds, which will take several weeks.

The panel is heavyweight: French expert Gerald Simon presiding, with Italian professor Luigi Fumagalli and Hamburg-based professor Ulrich Haas.

A CAS Award is not just advice. It has the same legal weight as a national court judgement and is enforceable worldwide under the New York Convention. So whatever CAS decides, CAF and both federations have to live with it.

We wait. Senegal lodged their appeal on March 25. The final ruling is now expected in late November 2026. If Senegal win, they are reinstated as champions. If they lose, Morocco keeps the title and African football will have a new rulebook moment aboutwalk-offss.

One thing is certain: this final will be talked about for years.

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