Nigeria have made history as champions of Africa in both the men’s and women’s categories of flag football, winning the inaugural IFAF Africa Flag Football Championship held in Egypt.
The Nigerian teams emerged victorious at the Club One Maadi Stadium in Cairo, defeating top opponents from across the continent to claim gold and qualify for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships, where they will represent Africa on the global stage.
In the women’s final, Nigeria beat Morocco 26-12, with quarterback Anuoluwapo Bello throwing four touchdown passes in a dominant performance.
“This is a great achievement for us and I’m proud of every woman out here,” Bello said after the final. “We showed what we are made of and in the second half we were able to get ahead and win the game.”
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Esther Kalu scored Nigeria’s first two touchdowns, both of which were met with replies from Morocco’s Maryem Zeafari. But Favour Eric gave Nigeria the edge, and a late touchdown by Mofeoluwa Akinrinmade sealed the win.
Egypt claimed the bronze medal in the women’s tournament after defeating Morocco earlier in the playoffs. Egyptian player Sonia Mouimen expressed pride in her team, saying, “We are a young group, and we have not been playing together for very long.”
In the men’s final, Nigeria edged hosts Egypt 13-12 in a tense, defensive battle. A successful extra-point conversion made the difference, as Nigeria’s Folawiyo Farouk reeled in the decisive point.
“It’s amazing, it’s surreal, it’s history, it’s unbelievable,” said quarterback Hayes Obinna-Uzoh. “We’ve made history.”
Obinna-Uzoh praised Nigeria’s defense, adding, “Defensive wins championships and the cliché was in full effect today.”
Nigeria’s touchdowns came from Farouk and center Edidong Udombat, while Egypt responded through Youssef Geith and Ziad Ammar, but it wasn’t enough.
Earlier, Nigeria reached the final after a convincing 40-18 win over Tunisia in the semifinals, while Egypt advanced by beating Morocco 21-12. Tunisia later secured the bronze medal with a 36-14 win over Morocco.
In the classification matches, Cameroon beat Senegal 45-13 to finish fifth, while South Africa thrashed Uganda 60-0 to end in seventh place.
With both teams now heading to the 2026 IFAF World Championships, Nigeria has positioned itself as the powerhouse of African flag football.
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