Africa Cup of Nations knockout fixtures and final winner

The legal dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final winner reached a procedural milestone on 07 May 2026, the deadline for the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to submit its defense to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). While Morocco remains the official champion following a CAF forfeit ruling against Senegal, a final verdict is not expected for several months. Meanwhile, on 04 May 2026, CAF signaled institutional support for the final's controversial referee, Jean-Jacques Ndala, by appointing him to officiate the 2026 CAF Champions League final.

• CAS Defense Deadline (2025 Final): 07 May 2026 📅 Calendar file (.ics) CAS Defense Deadline (Morocco vs Senegal) May 7, 2026
• Referee Appointment (Jean-Jacques Ndala): 04 May 2026 (May 17, 2026) 📅 Calendar file (.ics) Ndala Officiates CAF Champions League Final (First Leg) May 17, 2026
• IFAB Rule Change (Walk-off Penalties): 28 Apr 2026 📅 Calendar file (.ics) IFAB Rule Change Implementation April 28, 2026
• 2027 AFCON Tournament Dates: 19 June 2027 to 17 July 2027 📅 Calendar file (.ics) 2027 Africa Cup of Nations June 19, 2027 – July 17, 2027

On 29 April 2026, the FIFA Council officially ratified the dates for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from 19 June to 17 July 2027. Additionally, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has scheduled a critical hearing for 07 May 2026 to resolve the ongoing dispute over the 2025 final winner. Morocco currently holds the 2025 title following a March 2026 CAF ruling that overturned Senegal's on-field victory due to a mid-match protest walk-off.

• 2027 AFCON Tournament Dates: 19 June 2027 to 17 July 2027 📅 Calendar file (.ics) 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Pamoja East Africa) June 19, 2027 – July 17, 2027
• CAS Hearing Date (2025 Final Dispute): 07 May 2026 📅 Calendar file (.ics) CAS Hearing: Senegal vs. Morocco (AFCON 2025 Appeal) May 7, 2026
• Current 2025 AFCON Champion: Morocco (awarded 3-0 forfeit win by CAF Appeal Board in March 2026)
• 2027 U-20 AFCON Host: Ghana (awarded hosting rights on 30 April 2026)

As of April 25, 2026, there is no active Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament taking place. The most recent edition concluded in early 2024, and the next tournament is scheduled for 2025 in Morocco; no knockout fixtures or final results for a 2026 tournament exist as the competition is not currently in progress.

• Tournament Status: No AFCON tournament is currently active in April 2026.
• Next Tournament: 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco) (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) 📅 Calendar file (.ics) 2025 Africa Cup of Nations December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026