Rabat, Morocco — A single media outlet has published detailed match previews for a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations last-16 tie between South Africa and Cameroon scheduled for 4 January 2026, but neither the Confederation of African Football nor any other independent source has confirmed that the tournament is under way, and no official fixtures list has been released.
According to the previews, the game would kick off at 19:00 GMT at Al Barid Stadium in Rabat and would pair two sides that finished second in their hypothetical groups.
The articles name real players — South Africa’s Lyle Foster and Cameroon’s Bryan Mbeumo among them—and recap group-stage results that have not been reported elsewhere.
The same outlet published near — identical templates for other would-be round-of-16 pairings, all dated between 25 December 2025 and 3 January 2026. CAF’s most recent continental championship was the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Côte d’Ivoire from January to February 2024.
The governing body has not yet awarded the next tournament, routinely referred to informally as AFCON 2025, nor has it published match schedules or draw details.
Morocco is frequently mentioned as a candidate host, but no contract has been signed. Regional officials have not commented on the apparent mismatch between the 2025 tournament label and the 2026 calendar dates used in the previews.
Independent observers say the content follows a standard placeholder format meant for future use once CAF finalises logistics.
Further details are expected once CAF announces the host nation and official timetable for the next Cup of Nations.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 2*
