GENEVA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) confirmed Monday the withdrawal of Nigeria's men's and women's teams from the Flag Football World Championships Dusseldorf 2026 due to the visa problems.
The IFAF, the National Sports Commission of Nigeria and the Nigerian Federation of American Football made a joint statement, saying "The withdrawal follows the inability of the travelling delegation to secure the necessary visas in time for the Championships."
The world flag football governing body said both sides had worked hard to enable the teams to travel to Germany, but "all parties were informed this morning that the visas would not be issued in time for the Championships".
The African champions berths will not be replaced by reserve teams from the 2025 African Flag Football Championships due to the timing of the withdrawal, and teams scheduled to play Nigeria in the group stage will be awarded an automatic victory, IFAF said.
Nigeria still has chances to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as both teams could compete at the 2027 IFAF Continental Championships, where a top-two finish would secure qualification to the Olympic Q-Series, the final stage of qualification for the LA28, IFAF announced. ■
