African Football uses fact-checking standards to reduce errors and make our coverage more useful for football fans. This policy explains how we check information before and after publication.
Primary sources
For official information, we prioritise sources such as FIFA, CAF, national football federations, clubs, leagues, tournament organisers and official competition channels.
Fixtures, squads and results
Fixtures, kick-off times, venues, squad lists, match results and competition tables should be checked against official sources where possible. If a fixture, squad or team news item is not officially confirmed, the article should make that clear.
Transfers and rumours
Transfer stories should distinguish between confirmed deals, advanced reports, negotiations and rumours. Official club or player announcements carry more weight than speculative reports.
Injuries and availability
Injury and availability information should be handled carefully. If the status of a player is unclear, wording such as expected, likely, doubtful, reported or subject to official confirmation should be used.
Statistics
Statistics should come from credible data providers, official competition records or reputable sports sources. When statistics are time-sensitive, articles may need updating as new matches are played.
Corrections
If an error is found after publication, we follow our Corrections Policy.
