Claim: A viral social media post from Sky Sport Fans alleges that the Confederation of African Football has ordered Sadio Mané to return his Best Player (MVP) award, and that Brahim Díaz has been named the new winner after a review.

Verdict: False! There is no official statement from CAF confirming that Sadio Mané has been stripped of his MVP award or that Brahim Díaz has been declared the new winner.

Full Text

A Facebook post circulating under the name Sky Sports Fans claims that CAF has taken the unusual step of reviewing tournament awards and subsequently stripping Sadio Mané of his MVP title. The post further claims that Brahim Díaz has been declared the new recipient of the award.

The claim is presented as “breaking news,” suggesting it is a recent and official decision by CAF. Given the stature of both players and the significance of such a decision in African football, the post has attracted online reactions and engagement. The same post was made here, here,  here, and here.  

Verification

A thorough review of CAF’s official communication channels, including its Website and verified social media accounts such as X and Instagram, shows no announcement or statement supporting the claim that Sadio Mané has been stripped of his MVP award. CAF typically communicates major disciplinary or award-related decisions through these platforms, and the absence of such information strongly indicates that the claim is not authentic.

Further checks show that the only recent CAF-related decision involving Senegal and Morocco concerns proceedings under Article 84 of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Regulations. This decision addressed the 2025 AFCON final tournament-related issue between Senegal and Morocco, but did not include any directive to revoke individual awards or reassign the MVP title. At no point in CAF’s official communication was Brahim Díaz mentioned as a replacement MVP. Further to the aforementioned issue regarding Article 84, the President of CAF, Dr Patrice Motsepe, addressed it on all CAF’s official communication channels, and nothing about stripping the MVP title from Sadio Mane was mentioned.  See here and here.  

Additionally, no credible international or African sports media outlets have reported such a development. A decision of this magnitude, stripping a high-profile player like Sadio Mané of an MVP award, would ordinarily receive widespread coverage across major platforms. The complete absence of such reporting further discredits the viral claim.

Conclusion

The claim that CAF ordered Sadio Mané to return his MVP award and named Brahim Díaz as the new winner is false. There is no official statement, no supporting evidence, and no credible media report to validate the allegation. The post is, therefore, false and should be disregarded.