Cairo: Nigeria's women's and men's teams have been crowned the inaugural IFAF African Flag Football champions as the sport marked a major milestone on its journey to a first Olympic Games appearance in Los Angeles 2028. The Nigerian men edged a thrilling final game, winning 13-12 to claim gold over hosts Egypt in front of a loud and high-spirited home crowd inside the Club One Stadium in Maadi, Cairo, where distinguished guests included Egypt's Minister of Youth and Sport Dr. Ashraf Sobhi.
According to African Press Organization, in the women's tournament, Nigeria delivered a confident performance to secure victory over Morocco 26-12 in the final, with two decisive second-half touchdowns thrown by quarterback Anuoluwapo Bello. The podium was completed by bronze medalists Tunisia (men) and Egypt (women), marking this event's historical significance.
"It's amazing, it's surreal, it's history, it's unbelievable," expressed Nigeria men's quarterback Hayes Obinna-Uzoh. "We've made history." Egypt men's quarterback, Mahmoud Aboushady, reflected on the event stating, "We went for it, but we came up just short. The crowd was awesome, and it was a big crowd who were all cheering, and that was really touching." Meanwhile, Morocco women's center Sonia Mouimen commented, "We usually don't see crowds of this size making so much noise unless it is at soccer matches. I am very proud of my team."
Flag football, one of the world's fastest-growing sports, is rapidly developing across Africa, with many of IFAF's member federations on the continent recording over 100% growth in participation last year. The Africa Flag 2025 tournament was delivered in partnership with the NFL, which is working with IFAF to promote the development of flag football in Africa.
To ensure the event builds on the legacy for American football across the continent, the NFL hosted a series of wraparound activities in Cairo. These included a continental NFL Flag youth championship for U12 boys and girls teams from across Africa, an NFL talent identification session with the potential for players to advance to the NFL Africa-Europe Academy and International Player Pathway (IPP) program, and a coaching education clinic for aspiring female coaches from Africa, in partnership with IFAF and including participation from NFL/IFAF Global Flag football Ambassador Elisa de Santis (FRA).
Notably, two current NFL players, New York Giants' Bobby Okereke (Nigeria) and Tanoh Kpassagnon (Ivory Coast/Uganda), traveled to Cairo to join these activities and witnessed the historic finals session alongside two-time Super Bowl winner and NFL Africa lead, Osi Umeniyora. "It was inspiring to see nations from across the continent come together for the two-day event and showcase the incredible talent of their young athletes," said Umeniyora. "The NFL is proud to partner with IFAF to help grow the game of flag football, especially as we look ahead to its debut at the LA28 Olympic Games."
IFAF President Pierre Trochet stated, "Every player and official who set foot on the field in Cairo this week can claim a piece of history. I'm enormously proud and grateful to our Egyptian federation, who have hosted this milestone event with great professionalism and warmth. But the history is less important than the future, and what this tournament has demonstrated is the enormous talent and passion for the game that exists right across the African continent. We know this event is just the start, and, together with our NFL partners, we are committed to ensuring it acts as a springboard to the long-term development of our game."
The IFAF African Flag Football World Championships, hosted over two days (June 20-21) by the Egyptian Federation of American Football, prompted President Ali Rafeek to comment, "No words can truly capture the emotion of this moment. It was a world-class competition filled with outstanding performances and, above all, incredible energy. We've been building toward this moment for a while with IFAF leadership and our fellow federations, and we're proud to see that hard work come to life. Africa is officially on the flag football map, and we're only getting started."
The event in Cairo also marked the kick-off of IFAF's new, comprehensive partnership with the International Testing Agency, whose staff was present to deliver anti-doping education activities for participating athletes and team officials. The IFAF Flag Football Continental Championship series will continue in September with the EURO FLAG 2025 event in Paris, France.