Fake CAS Statement Fraudulently Awards 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to Senegal

A fake statement posing as an official Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision has flooded social media, claiming to award the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to Senegal. The document, dated 14 October 2026, reproduced the letterhead, logo and seal of the Lausanne institution — but the forgery is riddled with inconsistencies.

The most obvious: the text repeatedly refers to the “2026 Africa Cup of Nations”, when the dispute concerns the 2025 edition, held in Morocco between December 2025 and January 2026. Another telling error: the signature attributes to Matthieu Reeb the title of “secretary general” of CAS, when he is actually the director general — a distinction that any authentic document from the institution would respect scrupulously.

This forgery directly contradicts the actual state of proceedings. At the hearing on 8 October in Lausanne, Matthieu Reeb himself told media that the arbitral panel — composed of Gerald Simon, Luigi Fumagalli and Ulrich Haas — was still studying the arguments of both parties. Deliberation and drafting of reasons could take several weeks, even months.

This is not the first manipulation attempt in this case: last May, a first forged ruling already awarded victory to Senegal on the same networks. The dispute dates back to the final on 18 January in Rabat. After a contested referee decision, Senegalese players left the pitch for sixteen minutes before returning and winning 1-0. The CAF initially upheld this sporting result, before its Appeals Jury declared Senegal in default on 17 March, awarding the title to Morocco by walkover with a score of 3-0.

It is this CAF verdict that Senegal has brought before CAS. Pending the true ruling from the arbitral body, caution is warranted regarding any document not confirmed through official channels.