Fake CAS ‘verdict’ exposed as Morocco keep 2025 AFCON crown

Claims that Morocco have been stripped of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are false after a fabricated document spread rapidly across social media.

The image, which has been widely shared online, alleges that CAS ruled in favour of the Senegalese Football Federation, overturned the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision and officially crowned Senegal as AFCON 2025 champions.

However, multiple inconsistencies show the document is not genuine, with no official CAS communication indicating that a final verdict has been reached in the long-running dispute over the tournament final.

One of the clearest signs is the case reference. The viral document bears the number CAS 2026/A/10857, yet CAS officially registered Senegal’s appeal under CAS 2026/A/12295. A legitimate ruling would not carry a completely different case number.

The document also incorrectly presents the matter as a dispute solely between the Senegalese Football Federation and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. CAS has already confirmed that the appeal was lodged against both CAF and the Moroccan federation because the decision under challenge was issued by CAF’s Appeals Committee.

No official CAS ruling announced

The fake document further claims that CAS delivered its judgment on June 10, 2026. However, there is no record of any such decision in the court’s official announcements or published rulings.

The latest communication from CAS on the matter came on March 25, 2026, when it confirmed only that Senegal’s appeal had been registered and that an arbitration panel had been appointed.

At the time, CAS said it was too early to announce either a hearing date or the timeline for a final decision. The court also disclosed that Senegal had requested extra time to file its appeal brief while awaiting the full written reasons behind CAF’s ruling.

CAS additionally reminded all parties that arbitration proceedings remain confidential while the case is ongoing, making the circulation of what purports to be a final judgment highly questionable.

CAF ruling remains in force

Until CAS issues an official decision, CAF’s Appeals Committee ruling remains the only valid outcome of the case.

On March 17, 2026, CAF concluded that Senegal had withdrawn from the AFCON final after its players left the pitch. Applying Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations, the Appeals Committee awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory, upheld Morocco’s protest and cancelled an earlier disciplinary decision.

Although Senegal subsequently appealed to CAS, that appeal has not yet produced a final ruling.

Fabrication raises red flags

The viral image contains several additional warning signs. It is absent from CAS’s official database of published decisions, omits CAF from the list of respondents and exists only as a low-quality image featuring signatures, stamps and an Arabic translation without any verifiable source.

CAS typically publishes non-confidential awards through its official decisions database. No judgment overturning Morocco’s AFCON title has appeared there.

As matters stand, there is no official evidence that CAS has revoked Morocco’s 2025 AFCON triumph or declared Senegal champions.