Nigeria’s men’s and women’s flag football teams will miss the world championships that start this week in Germany, the International Federation ​of American Football said on Monday, after the delegation was unable ‌to secure the necessary visas.
The tournament, the first Olympic qualifying event for the sport ahead of its Games debut at LA28, will not replace Nigeria in the competition. Teams ​that were set to play Nigeria in the group stage will ​be awarded an automatic victory.
The top two finishers in the ⁠men’s and women’s competitions – excluding the United States – qualify directly for the ​2028 Games. The U.S., who are the men’s and women’s defending champion, has already been granted a spot as Olympic hosts.
However, Nigeria will still have a chance to book a ticket to Los Angeles. A top-two finish at next year’s continental championship ​would allow them to compete at the final stage of qualification in ​the “Olympic Q-Series.”
Six men’s and six women’s teams will compete at the Los Angeles Games.
“Over the ‌past 10 days, IFAF, together with its event partners and the relevant authorities, has made significant efforts behind the scenes to explore every possible avenue to enable the teams to travel to Germany,” IFAF said in a joint statement ​with the National Sports ​Commission of ⁠Nigeria and the Nigerian Federation of American Football.