Latest news with #AfricanChampions
Ya Biladi
07-08-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan sailing team triumphs at African Championship in Dar es Salaam
The Moroccan national sailing team made a stunning debut at the African Sailing Championship in the optimist category, securing first place in the team event. This prestigious tournament, held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from August 1 to 10, crowned the team as the African Champions for 2025 in this category. According to a statement received by Yabiladi, this top podium finish «recognizes the dedication and commitment of the Moroccan team, who outperformed Angola (2nd place) and South Africa (3rd place) in a technically demanding and intense competition among African nations». The Moroccan delegation comprises a seasoned technical staff and five promising young athletes. Their effective teamwork reflects «the foundational efforts of the Federation to nurture high-level sailing talent among the youth», the statement further noted. «This collective triumph is a source of national pride and a strong indicator of the promising future of Moroccan sailing, cementing its position among the leading African nations in the nautical arena», the federation proudly declared. Individual competitions are set for Thursday, August 7, and Friday, August 8, 2025. With their continental team title in hand, the national team enters this phase with boosted confidence.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Nigeria target flag football berths at LA 2028 Olympics
Nigeria is targeting the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games after its men's and women's teams were both victorious at the inaugural African Flag Football sport is a non-contact variant of American football, where players need to pull a flag off the person with the ball instead of tackling their opponent to the football will make its Olympic debut at LA 2028 and, as African champions, both Nigerian sides have earned direct qualification for next year's Flag Football World Obatolu, the vice president of the Nigeria American Football Association (Nafa), described the nation's triumphs in Egypt on Saturday as "deeply symbolic"."It was a moment of immense pride to be the first [African] nation, both men and women, to qualify for the World Championships," Obatolu told BBC Sport Africa."Our focus now is clear - we are not just attending the World Championships, we're going to compete. Our eyes are firmly set on Los Angeles 2028."The first African Flag Football Championship, which was organised by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), featured a total of 11 teams from eight countries across the continent. 'Validation' for players The championship was the first in IFAF's new continental series for 2025 and a pivotal moment on the road to the sport's Olympic men edged a thrilling final in Cairo, winning 13-12 to claim gold over the the women's tournament, the West Africans delivered a commanding performance to defeat Morocco 26-12 to secure the title."For the players, it's a validation of years of dedication, often in the shadows without recognition," Obatolu added."This isn't just a win, it's the beginning of a movement for flag football in Africa."Tunisia and Egypt earned the bronze medal in the men's and women's tournaments respectively."To Nigeria American Football Association - your pride, effort and spirit led to this outstanding result," IFAF president Pierre Trochet said in a post on social media."Africa can be proud. Your champions will carry our community high!"
Zawya
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Zawya
Nigeria secure historic double as first African flag football champions
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. In the women's tournament, Nigeria put out a confident performance to take victory over Morocco 26-12 in the final, with two decisive second half touchowns thrown by quarterback Anuoluwapo Bello. Bronze medalists Tunisia (men) and Egypt (women) completed the historic podiums. In total, 11 teams from eight nations, spanning the African continent, participated in Africa Flag – the first of IFAF's continental championships series for 2025 and the starting point for what will be the biggest and most important competition cycle in flag football history, culminating in the Olympic Games LA28. As African champions, Nigeria's men and women qualify directly to the IFAF Flag Football World Championships in 2026. The event also saw 10 national teams earn their first official world rankings. 'This is a great achievement for us and I'm proud of every woman out here,' said Nigeria women's gold medallist Anuoluwapo Bello. 'I feel excited for the girls here. There is an opportunity to go to the World Championships and show everyone what we can do.' 'It's amazing, it's surreal, it's history, it's unbelievable,' said Nigeria men's quarterback Hayes Obinna-Uzoh. 'We've made history.' Egypt men's quarterback Mahmoud Aboushady said: '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.' Morocco women's center, silver medallist Sonia Mouimen added: '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.' One of the world's fastest-growing sports, flag football is developing quickly across Africa, with many of IFAF's member federations in the continent recording more than 100% growth in participation last year. The Africa Flag 2025 tournament was delivered in partnership with the NFL, who are working with IFAF to drive the development of flag football in Africa. In an effort to ensure the event builds on the legacy for American football across the continent, the NFL is hosting a series of wraparound activities in Cairo. These include: a continental NFL Flag youth championships for U12's boys and girls teams from across Africa; an NFL talent indentification session, with the potential for players to advance to the NFL Africa-Europe Academy and International Player Pathway (IPP) program; in partnership with IFAF and including the participation of NFL/ IFAF Global Flag football Abassador Elisa de Santis (FRA), a coaching education clinic for aspiring female coaches from Africa. Two current NFL players, New York Giants' Bobby Okereke (Nigeria) and Tanoh Kpassagnon (Ivory Coast/Uganda) have traveled to Cairo to join these activities and were present to witness the historic finals session 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 our journey to grow flag football across Africa,' said Umenyiora. '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. 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 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, 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 were hosted over two days (June 20-21) by the Egyptian Federation of American Football, whose 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 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 witnessed the kick-off of IFAF's new, comprehensive partnership with the International Testing Agency, whose staff were 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. RESULTS AND FINAL STANDINGS IFAF Africa Flag 2025 - men's tournament Gold Medal Game Nigeria 13 Egypt 12 Bronze Medal Game Tunisia 36 Morocco 14 5 th Place Game: Cameroon 45 Senegal 13 7 th Place Game: South Africa 60 Uganda 0 Semifinals Egypt 21 Morocco 12 Tunisia 18 Nigeria 40 Final Placing Nigeria Egypt Tunisia Morocco Cameroon Senegal South Africa Uganda IFAF Africa Flag 2025 - women's tournament Gold Medal Game Nigeria 26 Morocco 12 Playoff Egypt 13 Morocco 19 Final Placing Nigeria Morocco Egypt Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Football League (NFL). Photography and Video Assets: *Rights-released for editorial use. Please credit IFAF
CNA
20-06-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Midday heat of Cincinnati a perplexing problem for Borussia Dortmund
CINCINNATI, Ohio :Borussia Dortmund plan to rotate their team to overcome the hot conditions they expect on Saturday at the Club World Cup, with coach Niko Kovac fearing the impact of the midday sun in Cincinnati. The Bundesliga outfit take on Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in their second Group F game at the TQL Stadium, kicking off at 12pm local time, and Kovacs said he would be picking a team best suited to handle the heat. Kovac said he expected the game to be played in 32-degree Celsius (90°F) heat, 'but when you're in the stadium it is three to five degrees hotter'. 'I need players who can handle the heat, players who can run for long periods and show less fatigue because we want to keep the quality of play high,' he told a Friday press conference. 'We'll have to work hard to make sure we have the ball at all times because it is not feasible to be chasing after the ball and to run a lot in this heat.' Dortmund drew their first game of the competition against Fluminense in New York on Tuesday, also kicking off at midday and looking lethargic in a goalless draw. 'In this tournament you see the clubs from the south have an advantage because they know the hot conditions better,' Kovac said. The coach said victory was imperative for his side. 'We want to win our next two games but tomorrow we are up against a good team," he said. "They are a side who want to play football and that makes it a very interesting proposition.' Sundowns, who were runners-up in the African Champions League earlier this month, won their opening game against Ulsan HD of South Korea on Tuesday in Orlando.
Japan Times
02-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Pyramids are champions of continent but still second best at home
Unfancied Pyramids FC of Egypt might have been crowned African champions on Sunday, but their Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurcic said they still faced a struggle to assert themselves in their own country. The club — which changed its name, moved to Cairo and won promotion to the Egyptian top flight seven years ago — triumphed in the CAF Champions League with a 3-2 aggregate win over two legs against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa. It was a second trophy, after Egyptian Cup success last season, for the club in just its second Champions League campaign. Pyramids have been seeking to emerge from the shadow of Cairo giants Al Ahly and Zamalek, who have not only dominated Egyptian competition but the Champions League as well. "When I started with the team last season, we played excellent football and had a long run of winning matches in a row but even then, this was not enough to be champion here,' said Jurcic. "This year again, we were very close but you know that Al Ahly is the best club in Africa, they are very good, they are very strong and it's very difficult to compete against a club like them." The 55-year-old Jurcic was delighted that his appeals for support ensured a 30,000-strong crowd at Sunday's decider in the June 30 Stadium, usually largely empty for Pyramids games, where they won the second leg 2-1. Cairo's passionate football followers traditionally support either Al Ahly or Zamalek, with little affection for any of the other sides based in the city. "I'm very grateful for the crowd that came today,' he said after lifting the trophy. "Usually we get to the stadium 90 minutes before kickoff and there is no one here. "It's disheartening for the players, and I find it's my job to transmit positive energy to try and get them up for the matches,' Jurcic added. The former Croatia international, who played for his country when they finished third at the 1998 World Cup, patrolled the sideline like a man possessed, jumping up and down and cajoling his players throughout the 90 minutes of action. "I believe that I can transmit my energy in a positive way, and I think that we can be competitive in the future with all the best teams in Egypt. "But whether we can stay a force is something to see in the future,' he added.
