NFL Hosts Women’s Flag Football Coaching Clinic in Cairo

The National Football League (NFL) hosted a women’s flag football coaching clinic in Cairo as part of its expanding initiative to grow the sport across Africa. The clinic brought together 36 participants from Egypt, Nigeria, and Morocco for a comprehensive program of classroom learning and on-field instruction, aimed at developing coaching talent and advancing long-term engagement in flag football.

Delivered by top-level experts from the NFL and international flag football community, the sessions featured:

Ameena Soliman, Director of Football Operations and Pro Scout, Philadelphia Eagles

Afia Law, NFL Flag International Development Lead

Elisa De Santis, French national team captain and NFL Global Flag Ambassador

Kris Durham, Head of Development, NFL Academy Europe-Africa

Jordan Mabin, Football Development Manager, NFL and former NFL player

Flag football — a non-contact, fast-paced variant of American football — continues to see rapid global growth, now played by more than 20 million people in 100 countries. Women and girls are driving some of the sport’s largest participation increases worldwide.

The Cairo clinic follows a similar successful event in Ghana in April 2025, which brought together 50 coaches and officials from 10 African nations. These coaching clinics are a central element of the NFL’s strategy to build a strong foundation for the sport in Africa.

In addition to the clinic, the NFL hosted a series of major football development activities in Cairo. Led by two-time Super Bowl Champion and NFL Africa Lead Osi Umenyiora, a talent identification camp was held for athletes from Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, and South Africa. Standout players may advance to the NFL Academy Europe-Africa in the UK or the International Player Pathway (IPP) program — both key avenues to elite development and professional opportunities.

Collaborating with the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and the Egyptian Federation of American Football (EFAF), the NFL also staged an NFL Flag Continental Championship for U13 boys’ and girls’ teams. Egypt emerged victorious, becoming the first-ever African youth flag football continental champions.

Earlier in the week, Africa Flag 2025 — IFAF’s inaugural continental championship — brought together 11 national teams from across the continent. Nigeria captured both the men’s and women’s titles. The tournament marks the beginning of the most ambitious flag football competition cycle to date, culminating in the sport’s historic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28).