The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has reopened proceedings related to Senegal's participation in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The CAS panel dismissed a request for external support from third parties, reaffirming the confidentiality of the arbitration process.
According to sources close to the case, the CAS decision came after Senegal's football federation (FSF) filed an appeal against a previous ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The dispute centers on eligibility criteria for players in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, with Senegal arguing that CAF's regulations were applied inconsistently.
The CAS ruling, dated July 15, 2026, states that the arbitration will proceed without external intervention, as the panel deemed such support unnecessary for a fair resolution. The decision is seen as a procedural victory for CAF, which had opposed any external involvement.
Senegal, the reigning AFCON champions, had sought to include players who were initially deemed ineligible by CAF. The CAS has not yet set a date for the final hearing, but the process is expected to conclude before the start of the 2025 AFCON tournament, scheduled for January 2026.
