The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has scheduled a hearing for October 8, 2026, to address the dispute surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) final. The match, originally played on February 11, 2025, between Ivory Coast and Nigeria, ended 2-1 in favor of Ivory Coast.
Nigeria's football federation (NFF) filed an appeal with CAS on February 14, 2025, contesting the result. The NFF alleges that the match was marred by officiating errors, including a disputed penalty awarded to Ivory Coast and a red card shown to Nigerian defender William Troost-Ekong.
CAS confirmed the hearing date in a statement on July 25, 2026, noting that both parties have submitted written arguments. The panel of three arbitrators will hear oral arguments in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a decision expected within weeks of the hearing.
If CAS rules in Nigeria's favor, potential remedies could include a replay of the final or a forfeit, though such outcomes are rare in football arbitration. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has declined to comment on the ongoing case.
