With the CAS ruling still pending in the case between the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), a purported statement from the Lausanne-based body has gained traction online.
Dated Wednesday, October 14, 2026, the document uses the CAS logo, letterhead and stamp to announce that the Africa Cup of Nations title had been awarded to Senegal.
It also claims that Senegal had met “all sporting, regulatory and ethical requirements” to be declared champions. The statement goes as far as congratulating the players, coaching staff and Senegalese people on the purported victory.
Several details, however, expose the document as a fake. The most obvious is its repeated references to the “2026 Africa Cup of Nations,” even though the dispute before CAS concerns AFCON 2025, held in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
Another significant inconsistency is the signature of Matthieu Reeb, identified in the document as the “secretary general” of CAS. Reeb is, in fact, the body’s director general.
These errors cast serious doubt on the authenticity of a document supposedly issued by the highest international sports arbitration body.
Ruling still pending
The fake statement also contradicts comments made by Reeb himself on Thursday, October 8, during the hearing on the Morocco-Senegal dispute at CAS headquarters in Lausanne.
Speaking to the press, the director general explained that the three arbitrators handling the case, Gerald Simon, Luigi Fumagalli and Ulrich Haas, would need to examine the arguments presented by the parties before reaching a decision.
“We are here to resolve this dispute, which has been going on for several months, with the aim of issuing a decision as soon as possible after the hearing. I don’t think it will be today or tomorrow,” he said.
Read also : Morocco-Senegal CAN 2025 final: Hearing concludes at CAS
Reeb also noted that the ruling could take “a few days, or even a few weeks,” particularly if the arbitrators decided to prepare a full award setting out the legal reasoning behind their decision.
So far, no official CAS ruling has been issued to confirm the claims made in the viral document.
A previous fake in May
This is not the first time a fake document attributed to CAS has circulated in connection with the case. Last May, a purported arbitration award was widely shared on social media. It claimed that the Senegalese Football Federation’s appeal had been upheld, the CAF Appeals Board’s decision overturned and the continental title returned to Senegal.
The dispute stems from the incidents during the AFCON 2025 final, played in Rabat on January 18. Senegal’s players left the pitch for nearly 16 minutes to protest a refereeing decision before returning to the game, which Senegal ultimately won 1-0 on the field.
After an initial CAF decision that left the sporting result unchanged, the continental body’s Appeals Board ruled on March 17 that Senegal had forfeited the match and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory under Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations.
El centrocampista marroquí nº17 Abde Ezzalzouli, el defensa senegalés nº24 Antoine Mendy y el centrocampista marroquí nº11 Ismael Saibari disputan un balón durante el partido de la final de la Copa Africana de Naciones (CAN) entre Senegal y Marruecos, en el Estadio Príncipe Moulay Abdellah de Rabat, el 18 de enero de 2026. (Foto de Paul ELLIS / AFP). AFP
The Senegalese Football Federation subsequently took the case to CAS to challenge that decision.
Since then, the wait for a ruling has fueled speculation and the spread of false information. The latest document is another example. Only an official announcement from CAS can establish the outcome of the proceedings.
