Egypt to Host Africa’s First Continental American Football Tournament
With elite teams and NFL-backed talent scouting, the event is the first continental American football championship in Africa.
Egypt will host the inaugural edition of the International Federation of American Football’s (IFAF) African Flag Football Championships—Africa Flag 2025—marking the first time a continental American football championship is held on the continent. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Cairo on June 20th and the 21st 2025.
Organised in partnership with the National Football League (NFL) and the Egyptian Federation of American Football (EFAF), the championship will bring together elite men’s and women’s national teams from across Africa. The event will also serve as a qualifier for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships, and comes as the sport builds momentum ahead of its debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The launch of Africa Flag 2025 is part of a wider initiative to promote flag football across the continent. For the first time, Egypt will host NFL Africa programming, which includes youth development events, talent identification camps, and the NFL Flag Continental Championship. The youth tournament will take place from June 20th to the 23rd and will feature under-12 boys and girls from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria. The final will be held on June 23rd in Cairo.
As part of the initiative, the NFL will also operate a dedicated scouting camp to identify emerging African talent. Athletes may be selected for advanced development opportunities including the NFL Academy Europe-Africa programme in the UK and the International Player Pathway (IPP), which helps international players enter the NFL.
NFL players with African roots, including Bobby Okereke (New York Giants, Nigeria), Brian Asamoah II (Minnesota Vikings, Ghana), and Dieter Eiselen (NFL free agent, South Africa), are expected to join in the activities and engage with the local community during the championship weekend.
Africa’s involvement in flag football has grown rapidly over the past two years. Cameroon made history in 2024 as the first African team to compete at the IFAF Flag Football World Championships. According to IFAF, participation in Egypt and Nigeria increased by 149% and 85% respectively in 2023 alone. In Nigeria, over 13,000 young people have been introduced to the sport through national federation outreach.
To support this growth, IFAF and the NFL have collaborated on infrastructure, training, and development initiatives, including coaching and officiating clinics. A recent three-day clinic held in Ghana from April 11th to the 13th brought together representatives from ten African countries: Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda.
Globally, flag football is now played by over 20 million athletes in more than 100 countries. IFAF’s continental championships are seen as key to shaping the sport’s Olympic future, with the 2024 World Championships—featuring 31 teams from five continents—described as the most competitive to date.
