
Exclusive: Football-IFAF expands flag championships to Africa ahead of LA28
The competition from June 20-21 in Cairo, Egypt, joins existing events in the Americas, Europe and Asia Oceania, as the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and the NFL look to build the sport's reputation as a global phenomenon.
The competition will operate as a pathway to qualification for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships.
"As a sport, you can't say you are a global sport and you exclude Africa. It's impossible," said NFL Africa Lead Osi Umenyiora, a British Nigerian former defensive end who won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.
"That's what, in conjunction with IFAF, we're really trying to build here: A truly global sport."
IFAF President Pierre Trochet said the championships would create opportunities for new players as the sport is determined not to become a "one-and-done" Olympic entrant.
"LA is the beginning of the story for us and a commitment that is shared with IFAF and the entire team of the NFL to look for a future edition - '32 and beyond - and it's just as a result that those continental competitions are growing so fast," said Trochet.
"It's a consequence of our common goal to stay in the Olympic programme on the long term."
CLEARER PATHWAY
The NFL has ramped up its promotion of flag football since the sport was announced as part of the Los Angeles 2028 programme, with the non-contact format that emphasises speed and agility offering a clearer pathway for women to compete.
Played without the expensive helmets and pads used in gridiron football, some also see the sport as more accessible to newcomers, with a lower chance of injury than in the bone-crunching world of the tackle game.
The NFL will co-host youth football development events in conjunction with the championships, expanding the NFL Africa programme to Egypt for the first time, as the U.S. league continues its push toward internationalisation.
Umenyiora, who moved to the United States when he was 15, got his start in flag and touch football and said the sport once seen as the sole domain of North America was quickly knocking down those barriers.
"(You) add in the Olympics. You add in the national team. You add in the IFAF competitions, the continental competitions that are going to be taking place hopefully for us on a yearly basis, and I think the idea of the NFL globally is not that far-fetched," he said.
The league announced ahead of the Super Bowl that it would play its first-ever regular season games in Dublin and Australia in 2025 and 2026, respectively, and last month said it was exploring the possibility of a game in the United Arab Emirates.
In the 2023 season, 88 foreign-born players participated in at least one regular-season game, with Nigeria accounting for the second-largest group of international players behind Canada.
With 12 teams - six men's and six women's - expected in Los Angeles, Trochet said each continent will have "an equal chance to access the qualification pathway.
"If an African team is fortunate enough to get in in 28, one is going to win," said Umenyiora.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Adam Peaty's three-word claim about what Gordon Ramsay did after he dated his daughter
While Gordon Ramsay is known for his skills in the kitchen and his razor sharp tongue, he actually helped Team GB swimmer Adam Peaty get his career back on track after a battle with depression Adam Peaty claimed that Gordon Ramsay helped pull him out of the "deep, dark hole" of depression after he began dating the celebrity chef's daughter. A three-time Olympic gold-medallist with Team GB, Peaty, who was in action this time last year in Paris, has enjoyed an incredible career in swimming over the years. The 30-year-old first tasted Olympic glory at the 2016 Games in Rio, clinching gold in the 100m breaststroke and silver in the 4 x 100m medley, before shining incredibly bright at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. He left Japan with gold medals in the 100m breaststroke and the 4 x 100m mixed medley, as well as another silver in the 4 x 100m medley. Meanwhile, Peaty was also in fine form at last year's Games in Paris, securing silver in the 100m breaststroke and only beaten by Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi. However, life away from the lanes hasn't always been smooth sailing for Peaty, who fell into a spiral of depression and alcoholism when his eight-year unbeaten run came to an end at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. At the same time, he also separated from the mother of his son. The swimming legend described what ensued as "three years of hell" before he finally got his career back on track when he started dating Holly Ramsay, the daughter of TV chef Gordon. The two first met when Holly's sister, Tilly, competed alongside him on the 2021 edition of Strictly Come Dancing, with a romance between Adam and Holly blossoming two years later. And Peaty revealed how Gordon played a major part in motivating his career resurgence, transforming him from a party-goer to a focused and disciplined Olympic titan once more. Peaty told The Sunday Times last April: "He [Ramsay] is an incredible energy to be around and an incredible person to have that guidance from. "Gordon is a high performer. He worked his way up to the upper echelons of his industry and works in a place where there's no bull****. I take a lot from that and from the professionalism he has every single day with a relentless pursuit. "So, when I see that, I'm like, 'Yeah, why can't I work like this? Why can't I do this every single day? Why do I have to be so emotionally engaged with things?'" Adam and Holly reconnected and began dating in May 2023, before going public with their relationship just a month later. They then unveiled matching tattoo tributes to one another in December and announced their engagement in September with a heartfelt Instagram post. Taking to social media, Holly wrote: "I am marrying my best friend. I truly cannot put into words how I am feeling right now. I still remember how big my smile was the morning I got home from my first date with you. "Thank you for letting the little girl inside of me feel loved, seen and happier than ever. I love you & I cannot wait to be your wife. I promise to always be there with you and George, I'm so grateful to be in his life and I cannot wait for more. "Everything is better with you. Everything has been better since you. Here's to forever. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13." Peaty also appears to have a good relationship with his future father-in-law, particularly seeing the funny side as Gordon aimed a famous barb at him during a conversation ahead of Paris 2024. Ramsay was quizzing Peaty on his post-Olympic plans, before the Team GB ace replied: "Who knows? You're smiling, I'm not going to give you the pleasure. I'm not going to do it. You're trapping me." To which Gordon said in trademark fashion: "You're full of s***! You are definitely not retiring. Absolutely, definitely not retiring," adding: "Very best of luck. Don't f*** this up."


Daily Mail
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Miami Dolphins make huge signing in desperate position after devastating Artie Burns injury blow
The Miami Dolphins have made a major move to bolster their roster in the wake of Artie Burns' season-ending injury. The veteran cornerback devastatingly tore his ACL on the first day of training camp Wednesday, leaving the Dolphins in severe need of a replacement. Now, ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that Miami has filled the void left by Burns' injury by signing free agent Jack Jones.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
NFL hit with Super Bowl scandal: Around 100 players facing bans
At least 100 NFL players, as well as coaches and staff from around half of the 32 teams, have been accused of violating league rules by selling their Super Bowl tickets for above face value. That is according to a report Friday, which said an NFL investigation found that some employees and players flogged their tickets to a 'small number of "bundlers"' who were working with a reseller to sell them for inflated fees. All NFL players are allowed to buy two tickets at face value. This year, when the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas in New Orleans, prices reportedly ranged from $950 to $7,500. On resale sites, however, some tickets were going for close to $57,000. The average price of a Super Bowl ticket in the final weeks leading up to the game was $8,076, according to CBS. ESPN claims the players face a possible fine and could be suspended if they refuse to pay. They will also lose the right to their allotted tickets to the next two Super Bowls, unless they are playing in the game, in which case they will have the opportunity to buy seats. No specific players, coaches, or teams who violated the policy were named, but some people have already shelled out to avoid missing playing time, according to ESPN. Players violating the agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association around the resale of Super Bowl tickets are reportedly subject to penalties including fines of one-and-a-half times the face value of the tickets. Other team employees who violated the policy will reportedly be fined two times the face value of the tickets. According to reports, those players and employees who had a 'greater role' — by working directly with the 'bundlers,' for instance — 'will face increased penalties.' 'Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket's face value in violation of the policy,' read a memo, sent to teams by the NFL — and cited by ESPN. 'This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket's face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less.' 'We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of "bundlers" who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.' The NFL also insists it will be enhancing 'mandatory compliance training regarding the Policy' for all personnel, which will emphasize that 'no one should profit personally from their NFL affiliation at the expense of our fans.' 'We will also increase the penalties for future violations of this Policy,' the league memo adds. 'All clubs must ensure their personnel understand and comply with this policy. Additional details regarding the enhanced compliance measures will be provided in early fall.'