Senegal Begin New AFCON Campaign with 2025 Dispute Unresolved

Senegal begin a new chapter under Patrick Vieira on Friday as the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign gets underway, while the dispute over the last final remains unresolved.

The Teranga Lions face Mozambique in Group J after replacing their planned home fixture because Dakar will host the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Vieira takes charge following Senegal’s disappointing World Cup campaign and has left several established players, including some key figures, out of his first squad.

Senegal also enter the qualifiers with the outcome of the 2025 AFCON final still under dispute.

They beat hosts Morocco in the final in January, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) later stripped Senegal of the title after the team walked off the pitch during a 14-minute protest late in the match.

CAF subsequently awarded the title to Morocco.

Senegal challenged the decision and will have their appeal heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on October 8.

The unresolved dispute adds an unusual backdrop to the start of the next qualifying cycle, which begins across Africa on Thursday.

Forty-eight nations have been drawn into 12 groups for a six-round qualifying campaign that runs until March next year.

The top two teams in nine groups will qualify for the 24-team finals.

Hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will also participate in the qualifiers. However, only one additional team will qualify from each of their groups.

The 2027 tournament will run from June 19 to July 17.

Morocco, meanwhile, begin their Group A campaign at home against Gabon in Rabat before travelling to face Lesotho in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on September 29.

Morocco also enter the new cycle with added confidence after reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup as Africa’s best-performing team.

Lesotho are among 12 countries that must play their home fixtures at neutral venues. CAF considers their stadiums unsuitable for international matches.

Elsewhere, Tunisia begin their Group H campaign against Uganda on Thursday under new coach Moin Chaabani.

The North Africans are seeking an 18th consecutive appearance at the AFCON finals after making sweeping changes to their squad.

Only 14 players from their World Cup squad remain as Chaabani begins the rebuilding process.

The opening fixtures also feature a heavyweight Group C clash between Ivory Coast and Ghana on Thursday.

South Africa will then host Guinea in Johannesburg on Saturday in another early Group campaign encounter.