The Nigerian men edged a thrilling final, winning 13-12 over hosts Egypt in front of a lively and enthusiastic home crowd at Club One Stadium in Maadi, Cairo. Among the distinguished guests was Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sport, Dr. Ashraf Sobhi.
In the women’s tournament, Nigeria delivered a confident performance to defeat Morocco 26-12 in the final, with two decisive second-half touchdowns from quarterback Anuoluwapo Bello. Bronze medals went to Tunisia (men) and Egypt (women), completing the historic podiums.
A total of 11 teams from eight African nations participated in Africa Flag, the first of IFAF’s continental championship series for 2025. The event marks the beginning of the biggest and most important competition cycle in flag football history, culminating at the Olympic Games LA28.
As African champions, Nigeria’s men and women qualify directly for the IFAF Flag Football World Championships in 2026. The tournament also saw 10 national teams receive their first official world rankings.
“This is a great achievement for us and I’m proud of every woman here,” said Nigeria women’s gold medallist Anuoluwapo Bello. “I’m excited for the opportunity to go to the World Championships and show everyone what we can do.”
“It’s amazing, surreal, historic and unbelievable,” said Nigeria men’s quarterback Hayes Obinna-Uzoh. “We’ve made history.”
Egypt men’s quarterback Mahmoud Aboushady added: “We gave it our all but just came up short. The crowd was incredible — a big turnout, all cheering — and that was really touching.”
Morocco women’s centre and silver medallist Sonia Mouimen said: “We rarely see crowds this size making so much noise outside of soccer matches. I’m very proud of my team.”
Flag football, one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, is developing rapidly across Africa. Many IFAF member federations on the continent recorded more than 100% growth in participation last year.
The Africa Flag 2025 tournament was organised in partnership with the NFL, which is working with IFAF to promote flag football’s growth across Africa.
To build a lasting legacy for American football on the continent, the NFL hosted a series of activities in Cairo alongside the tournament, including:
A continental NFL Flag youth championship for U12 boys’ and girls’ teams from across Africa
An NFL talent identification session, with opportunities to advance to the NFL Africa-Europe Academy and the International Player Pathway (IPP) program
A coaching education clinic for aspiring female coaches, in partnership with IFAF and featuring NFL/IFAF Global Flag Football Ambassador Elisa de Santis (FRA)
Two current NFL players — New York Giants’ Bobby Okereke (Nigeria) and Tanoh Kpassagnon (Ivory Coast/Uganda) — travelled to Cairo to participate in these activities and witnessed the historic finals alongside two-time Super Bowl winner and NFL Africa lead Osi Umeniyora.
“The first African Continental Championship was a tremendous success, and Egypt proved to be the perfect host as we continue to grow flag football across Africa,” said Umeniyora.
“It was inspiring to see nations from across the continent come together for this two-day event and showcase their young athletes’ incredible talent. The NFL is proud to partner with IFAF as we look ahead to the sport’s debut at the LA28 Olympic Games.”
IFAF President Pierre Trochet said: “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, which hosted this milestone event with professionalism and warmth.
“More important than the history is the future. This tournament has demonstrated the vast talent and passion for flag football across Africa. We know this event is just the beginning, and together with our NFL partners, we are committed to using it as a springboard for long-term development.”
The IFAF African Flag Football World Championships were held over two days (June 20-21) under the auspices of the Egyptian Federation of American Football. Its president, Ali Rafeek, said: “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 working toward this moment with IFAF leadership and our fellow federations, and we’re proud to see that effort come to life. Africa is officially on the flag football map, and this is only the beginning.”
The event also marked the launch of IFAF’s new partnership with the International Testing Agency, which delivered anti-doping education for athletes and officials.
The IFAF Flag Football Continental Championship series will continue in September with the EURO FLAG 2025 event in Paris, France.
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