The Nigerian Federation of American Football (NFAF) today announced that Nigeria’s men’s, women’s, and U13 youth national teams will compete at the 2026 NFL Flag Africa Continental Championship, taking place July 9-11 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The tournament marks the third NFL Flag continental championship held in Africa, following events in Nigeria in 2024 and Egypt in 2025. This year’s competition will, for the first time, bring together men’s and women’s national teams from five countries — Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa — alongside a co-ed U13 youth tournament featuring 10-player squads from each nation.
Though still a young organization, NFAF has been working steadily to assemble and prepare its delegation for Nairobi, drawing on grassroots talent from across the country to put forward competitive squads across all three divisions. The federation says the tournament represents an important step in building Nigeria’s presence on the continental flag football stage.
“As a new federation, we know we still have plenty to learn, but our players and coaches have put in the work to get ready for this competition,” an NFAF spokesperson said. “We’re proud to represent Nigeria in Nairobi and to give our athletes this platform to compete and grow.”
The event is held in partnership with the NFL and is authorized by IFAF, the sport’s international federation, with local support from the Kenyan Federation of American Football (KFAF).
Alongside the on-field competition, the week will include an NFL elite talent identification
workout on July 11, offering athletes the chance to be seen by NFL representatives as part of the league’s NFL Africa program.
NFAF said it looks forward to building on this experience as it continues developing flag football — one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, set to debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics — at home in Nigeria.
