NIGERIA WINS BIG AT AFRICA FLAG FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

By: Gyang Dakwo

Nigeria’s men’s and women’s teams have made history by winning the first-ever IFAF African Flag Football Championship. The tournament took place at Club One Stadium in Maadi, Cairo, and marks a big step toward the sport’s debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

In the men’s final, Nigeria beat host country Egypt 13-12 in a very close and exciting game with the home crowd loud and full of energy.

The Nigerian women also put on a strong show, defeating Morocco 26-12 in the final. Quarterback Anuoluwapo Bello threw two important touchdowns in the second half to seal the win. Tunisia took bronze in the men’s category while Egypt finished third in the women’s tournament.

A total of 11 teams from eight African countries took part in the Africa Flag 2025 event. This was the first of many flag football competitions planned by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) ahead of the 2028 Olympics. It also gave 10 national teams their first official world rankings.

By winning the African championship, both Nigerian teams have earned direct spots at the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships.

Flag football is growing fast around the world and even faster in Africa. Many countries on the continent have more than doubled their number of players in the past year.

The Africa Flag 2025 tournament was organised with help from the NFL, which is working closely with IFAF to grow the sport across Africa.

Flag football is a variant of American football where the aim is to advance up the pitch via a series of offensive plays into the opposition’s defensive endzone. It is a non-contact sport with ‘tackles’ made by removing one of two fabric ‘flags’ attached to the ball-carrier’s waist – one on each side.