AFCON 2025: A fake CAS statement announces Senegal's victory, the case is still under deliberation

A fake statement attributed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has been circulating on social media since October 14, 2026. The image, laid out like an official document, announces that Senegal has won its appeal regarding the AFCON 2025 title. This is false: no ruling has been issued, according to the verification published on October 15, 2026, by AfrikMag.

Signs of a fake

The media outlet points out several inconsistencies. The document mentions "AFCON 2026," whereas the dispute concerns AFCON 2025, the final of which was played in January 2026. It attributes a title to Matthieu Reeb that does not correspond to his role as Director General of the CAS. The triumphant tone, the absence of any legal reasoning, and the typos do not resemble an arbitral decision in any way. Finally, the text does not appear in any official communication from the court.

The current status of the case

According to AfrikMag, the CAS held its hearing on October 8, 2026, in Lausanne, and the case is now under deliberation. No firm date for a decision has been communicated: therefore, no one currently knows when the title of African champion will be definitively awarded.

On the merits, the appeal was filed by the Senegalese Football Federation, which is challenging the awarding of the title to Morocco following the January 2026 final. As long as the arbitration panel has not ruled, the case remains open.

Why this matters

Two nations are awaiting this ruling, along with millions of supporters from West Africa to the Maghreb. This is precisely what makes these fake documents harmful: they manufacture joy or anger out of nothing, and then damage trust in institutions as well as in the continent's media.

The rule is simple and applies to everyone: a CAS decision is published by the CAS. As long as the court has not announced anything, no screenshot, no matter how carefully laid out, constitutes a verdict.