Egypt Selected to Host Inaugural International Federation of American Football (IFAF) African Flag Football Championships
Teams From Across Africa Will Feature in First-Ever IFAF Continental Championships in Region from June 20-21
NFL Africa (www.NFL.com ) to Host Football Development Events in Egypt Alongside IFAF Championships
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is delighted to announce Egypt as the host nation for the inaugural 2025 IFAF African Flag Football Championships – AFRICA FLAG 2025.
AFRICA FLAG 2025 will take place from June 20-21 in Cairo, Egypt, welcoming elite men's and women's national teams from across Africa for the first time at an IFAF Continental Championships. As participation in flag football continues to grow rapidly throughout the continent, this inaugural event offers a pathway to qualification for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships and represents a significant milestone on the journey towards flag football's historic Olympic debut at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
"With the announcement of the first ever IFAF Continental Championships in Africa, we are taking another step in the global development of our sport,' said IFAF President Pierre Trochet. 'Looking ahead to flag football's historic Olympic debut at LA28, our Continental Championships provide a fantastic platform to further accelerate the sport's regional growth at grassroots and elite levels. Egypt will be a great host, and we are certain AFRICA FLAG 2025 will play its part in inspiring new athletes and fans across a continent that has already produced a rich heritage of American football talent.'
Hosted in partnership with the National Football League and Egyptian Federation of American Football (EFAF), various youth football development events will take place in Cairo in conjunction with the upcoming Championships — expanding the league's NFL Africa program to Egypt for the first time, creating more opportunities for young athletes from across the continent to play American football.
In collaboration with IFAF and EFAF, U12 teams of boys and girls from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria will compete in a multi-day NFL Flag Continental Championship, facing off in the championship game on June 23. NFL Flag is the official flag football program of the NFL — working to bring the non-contact version of American football to young athletes worldwide.
The NFL will also host a football talent identification event with prospects from across Africa. Athletes will showcase their skills and abilities with the potential to advance on through the NFL Academy Europe-Africa program in Loughborough, U.K. or the International Player Pathway (IPP) program — two core pillars of the NFL's global football development initiatives.
A number of current NFL players will join these events in Egypt, including New York Giants' Bobby Okereke (Nigeria), Minnesota Vikings' Brian Asamoah II (Ghana) and NFL free agent Dieter Eiselen (South Africa). Okereke, Asamoah II and Eiselen are supporting football operations for national federations in the lead up to and during the Championships, as well as NFL Africa's youth football programming.
'I'm excited and inspired to lead the NFL's efforts in Africa and to again expand our programming to a fifth country: Egypt — an innovative market for sport, with incredible talent,' said two-time Super Bowl Champion and NFL Africa Lead Osi Umenyiora. 'Back-to-back days of NFL Africa events alongside the IFAF Continental Championships in Egypt helps showcase the aspirational pathways for talented young athletes across the continent, as we look ahead together to flag football in the LA Olympic Games in 2028. It will be a great weekend of football, and one that will create a powerful legacy as we introduce more and more young athletes to our game.'
AFRICA FLAG 2025 will reinforce the acceleration of flag football's growth across the continent. At the record-breaking 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships, Cameroon made history as the first African nation to compete on the global stage. Since 2023 participation in flag football has surged with Egypt and Nigeria seeing increases of 149% and 85%, respectively. In Nigeria, the national federation's outreach program has already engaged more than 13,000 young people, highlighting the sport's expanding reach and appeal.
IFAF and the NFL are working hand-in-hand to develop and grow flag football across the continent, collaborating to create meaningful educational pathways for coaches and officials delivering flag across Africa. This commitment was reaffirmed at the recent three-day flag football coach education and officiating clinic in Ghana (April 11-13). The clinic welcomed new and experienced coaches and officials from 10 African countries — Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia and Uganda — enabling further long-term engagement and participation in the sport in the region.
As part of the NFL Africa program, the league has also undertaken NFL Flag development, talent identification camps and fan events across Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria since 2022.
'We are extremely proud to be hosting the first ever AFRICA FLAG 2025 in Cairo and to be writing Egypt into flag football's history books,' said EFAF Founder Ali Rafeek. 'Hosting this tournament allows us to put a spotlight on our talented athletes and to show the next generation what's possible in this sport — whether you're picking up a football for the first time or dreaming of the Olympics.'
'AFRICA FLAG 2025 is a huge moment for the continued growth of flag football across our continent,' said Egyptian Women's National Team Quarterback Amira Nader. 'It's an opportunity to showcase the incredible talent and passion rising throughout Africa and take a meaningful step towards making history at LA28. As the first-ever Continental Championships, this event will inspire the next generation to pick up a football and believe anything is possible.'
IFAF continues to reinforce structured and competitive pathways for flag football, with the Continental Championships as an important stepping stone in the journey towards the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships. The record-breaking 2024 edition of the IFAF Flag Football World Championships was the culmination of IFAF's biggest-ever international cycle of flag football competition and brought together elite athletes representing 31 nations from five continents at the most competitive and thrilling tournament to date. Flag football is played by 20 million athletes in more than 100 countries, and with an ever-expanding African presence, these events will serve as key milestones on the road to LA28.
Details regarding AFRICA FLAG 2025's participating nations as well as the 2025 Continental Championships for other regions will be announced in the coming weeks, offering teams from around the world more opportunities to compete and prepare for the journey toward LA28.
For more details on the Championships, visit the IFAF website (https://apo-opa.co/42LiURK) or follow us on social media. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Football League (NFL).
For more information on NFL Flag, the official flag football program of the NFL, visit here (https://apo-opa.co/3G70ylD).
For the latest NFL Africa activity, follow @ NFLAfrica on:
Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/43VmZnx
X: https://apo-opa.co/43QGKN7
About IFAF:
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) (https://apo-opa.co/42LiURK) is the international governing body for the sport of American football and is responsible for all regulatory, competition, performance and development aspects of the game on a global level. Fully recognised by the International Olympic Committee and a signatory to the WADA Code, IFAF has 75 member nations across 5 continents.
About the National Football League:
The National Football League is America's most popular sports league, comprised of 32 franchises that compete each year to win the Super Bowl, the world's biggest annual sporting event. Founded in 1920, the NFL developed the model for the successful modern sports league, including national and international distribution, extensive revenue sharing, competitive excellence, and strong franchises across the country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out Abu Dhabi
4 hours ago
- Time Out Abu Dhabi
These are the best swimming pools for fitness in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi has no shortage of pretty swimming pools. However, not all of them are suited to swimming laps and working out. After all, every swimmer knows the pain of having to dodge those who are just in the pool to chat and lounge (the audacity), while you desperately try to hit your target distance. Fortunately, the below all give 'serious' swimmer-only vibes. Spanning everything from Olympic-sized training pools to outdoor lanes, your swimming era officially starts here. 321 Sports Located in the centre of Hudayriyat Island, where there's also Surf Abu Dhabi and the soon-to-be-open Velodrome, you probably won't be surprised to hear that 321 Sports has an amazing outdoor lap pool. Semi-Olympic-sized and fitted with 25-metre-long lanes, day passes can be purchased for Dhs90. From Dhs90. Daily 6am-11pm. Hudayriyat Island. @321sports_hudayriyat (02 691 0256). Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub We challenge you to find a prettier place for a swim than the Olympic (50 metres) outdoor pool at Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub. The lane set-up alternates between 50 and 25 metres throughout the week. Top tip: visiting in the early evening treats you to wonderful sunset views as you tick off those laps. If you finish hungry (who doesn't after a swim?), the hearty pub grub at the neighbouring The Boundary is the perfect post-workout feed. Dhs30 (drop in), Dhs250 (ten-session pass). Open Mon, Wed-Fri 9am-9pm, Tue 9am-10pm, Sat-Sun 7am-7pm. Khalifa City, @abudhabisportshub (02 558 8331). Etizan Fitness Offering one of the only indoor Olympic pools in the city, Etizan is many swimmers' favourite place to train. Inviting you to perfect your techniques sheltered from the sun's rays, ladies-only sessions are offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and all the facilities are modern, sleek and of the best possible quality. If you have time and leftover energy after your dip, the enormous Etizan gym is next-level epic, while the lagoon-shaped pool and private beach are absolutely stunning. From Dhs151 (day pool pass). Daily 6am-11pm. Erth Abu Dhabi, Khor Al Maqta, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Road. @etizanfitness (02 497 5229). Al Jazeera swimming pool Part of Abu Dhabi's iconic Al Jazeera sporting campus, the indoor, Olympic-sized Al Jazeera swimming pool comes with professional starting blocks and 10 spacious lanes. Measuring as deep as four metres in parts, it's ideal for advanced and super keen swimmers, while Cleopatra Sports Services (the pool's operators) provides swimming programmes and private and group lessons as well. Offering eight swimming sessions for as little as Dhs189 (to be used within one month), we don't hate that it's one of the cheapest places to swim in the city either… From Dhs189. Sun-Thu 9am-9pm, Fri-Sat 9am-7pm. Al Jiwa Street, Al Nahyan, (052 114 2222). MBZ City Sports Center Set out in Mohamed Bin Zayed City, right on the outskirts of the capital, MBZ City Sports Center is a bit of a trek for the Downtown and Reem Island crowd. However, it's absolutely worth the drive. The official training centre for Abu Dhabi Aquatics Club, the temperature-controlled, indoor Olympic pool will host the prestigious Finswimming World Championship 2025 this winter and it's kitted out with the best facilities that money can buy. Offering swimming lesson programmes for kids and adults, ladies-only swim sessions and wide 50-metre lanes, it's also fully wheelchair accessible and the swim coaches are renowned for being some of the best in the country. Open daily 6am-10pm. Mohamed Bin Zayed City, @mbzsportscenter (02 551 2700). Rosewood Abu Dhabi Credit: Rosewood Abu Dhabi Allowing you to combine a relaxing pool day at one of the city's most luxurious hotels with a proper swim workout, the palm-tree-lined, elevated pool at the Rosewood Abu Dhabi is open to outside guests seven days a week. The two 25-metre lanes let you let loose and knock off some distance uninterrupted, while the shaded cabanas are ideal for a well-deserved, after-swim snooze. Inviting you to make a whole day of it, the weekend day passes include Dhs100 in F&B credit. Dhs180 (weekday), Dhs300 (weekends). Open daily 6am-11pm. The Galleria Al Maryah Island, @rosewoodabudhabi (02 813 5550). VOGO Abu Dhabi Golf Resort Family-friendly VOGO Abu Dhabi Golf Resort caters to every kind of swimmer. While the huge recreation and kids' pools keep the leisure swimmers at bay, you're free to enjoy the 25-metre laned lap pool in peace. Allowing you to storm up and down to your heart's content, there's no fancy membership required to use it either. Instead, you can simply drop in and buy an hour's lap pool pass for Dhs50, or treat yourself to the equally reasonable 'Splash and Dine' day pass for Dhs100, including the full amount back to spend at the pool bar. From Dhs50. Open Mon-Thu 7am-7pm, Fri-Sun 8am-8pm Sas Al Nakhl, @vogoabudhabigolfresort (02 616 9999).
Int'l Cricket Council
14 hours ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
O'Dowd and Dutch have final say against Munsey muscle in CWC League 2
The promise of drama in ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 was backed up once again as Max O'Dowd and The Netherlands overshadowed a record effort from Scotland opener George Munsey in Dundee. In a showcase of two openers at the peak of their powers, it was an O'Dowd six in the 100th over the match to complete the heist away from the hosts, as he finished with 158 not out in just 130 balls in a staggering chase of 370. Scotland v Netherlands | Match Highlights | ICC Men's CWCL2 2023-27 Another stunning Cricket World Cup League 2 match in Dundee as Scotland and The Netherlands launch in a high-scoring battle Earlier, it had looked like another Munsey mauling had taken Scotland to victory, with his 191 from 150 rewriting the history books. Bludgeoning 14 fours and 11 sixes in a typical knock of power all around the wicket, Munsey broke the record for the higest individual ODI score by an Associate batter, passing a 2010 effort from then-Associate Ireland's Paul Stirling, who made 177 against Canada in 2010. Munsey's exploits almost meant he claimed bragging rights off Calum MacLeod for the highest ODI score by a Scot, while the innings is also the biggest in the short history of the six-year history of Cricket World Cup League 2 format, beating American Milind Kumar's 155* versus UAE. Munsey's efforts fell just short of the highest individual score by an Associate in an international match with List A status, with Gerrie Snyman's 196 against UAE in April 2010 in the old World Cricket League 2 competition still unbeaten. And in a scarcely-believable parallel to Snyman's knock which came in a losing side 15 years ago, Munsey's efforts also proved in vain, with O'Dowd's swashbuckling response helping the men in orange to the competition points. While joined along the way by a number of partners, particularly Teja Nidamanuru (51) and a late Noah Croes of 50 in just 29 balls, O'Dowd was the obvious aggressor, responding to Munsey's efforts with 27 boundaries of his own. Having kept the required rate in check for the first 40 overs, the injection of Croes helped O'Dowd move into the final gear. Needing 86 runs from the final 54 balls, the pair made 37 in the next four overs, before overs of 17 and 14 broke the back the back of the Scots. Croes would fall before victory, though the experience of Roelof van der Merwe ensured the Dutch sealed victory, ticking strike over to O'Dowd who closed out. The win puts the Dutch alongside the USA at the top of the League 2 table (28 points), though have played four more matches than the Americans in the 36-match cycle. Scotland and Oman, who also enjoy four matches in hand over the Dutch, sit two wins back on 20 points. ICC CWC League 2, 2023-27NewsMax O'DowdGeorge Munsey
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Mokaev faces Assis as 971FC gears up for blockbuster fight card
971FC, the UAE's fastest-growing fight promotion, takes the Coca-Cola Arena by storm on Saturday, for a landmark night of international combat sports and entertainment. With 14 explosive bouts, elite fighters in the main and co-main events, and a headline live performance by hip-hop legend Lloyd Banks, this is more than a fight night – it's a cultural event. This event is officially sold out, marking it as one of the most anticipated sporting spectacles of the year. The spotlight shines bright as Muhammad Mokaev faces off against Thomas Assis in the main event, a thrilling bantamweight bout set to headline an action-packed fight night. In a major shakeup, undefeated British-Dagestani phenom Mokaev (14-0) faces off against Brazilian submission expert with an 11-fight win streak Assis (12-2). A former IMMAF world champion and UFC veteran, Mokaev is known for his relentless pressure and Olympic-level wrestling. Assis, who hails from Coari in Brazil and trains out of RCT Coari, is riding a win streak and brings a gritty, aggressive grappling style that promises a chess match on the ground. Russian powerhouse and sambo technician Raimond Magomedaliev (10-2) returns to action, looking to impose his dominant top game against seasoned Brazilian striker Andrey 'Mineiro' Augusto (17-9-1) in the co-main event. Augusto is known for his durability and knockout power and will look to test the Russian's chin and composure under fire.
