The French sports newspaper L'Équipe has issued a correction after a false claim about the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) circulated on its social media channels. The post incorrectly stated that Morocco had won the tournament that year.
According to verified historical records, the 1976 AFCON was hosted by Ethiopia. The tournament was won by Morocco's North African rivals, Algeria. The Moroccan national team did not participate in the 1976 edition.
L'Équipe addressed the error after it was highlighted by users online. The newspaper subsequently deleted the incorrect post to prevent the spread of misinformation. The incident underscores the challenges media outlets face with rapid social media publishing and historical fact-checking.
Morocco's first and only AFCON victory to date came in 1976, a full decade later in 1986, when they hosted the tournament. The 1976 error appears to stem from a conflation of these two different tournaments involving the Moroccan team.
