Canada’s men and women have progressed to the quarterfinals of the flag football world championships held in Germany. The men, despite losing 37-28 to Japan, secured the second spot in their group with a 2-1 record. Originally set to face Nigeria, the Canadian team was granted a win as Nigeria withdrew from the tournament due to visa complications. Japan’s Take Taniguchi threw five touchdown passes, while Canada’s Michael O’Connor, a former CFL quarterback, threw three TD passes. In the upcoming quarterfinals, Canada will compete against American Samoa, who surprised with a win over the top-ranked U.S. team.
The women topped their group with a flawless 3-0 record after defeating Japan 34-20. Their next challenge in the quarterfinals is against Austria. A victory would propel the Canadians into a semifinal match against the winner of Mexico and Spain. Quarterback Sara Parker shined with four touchdown passes against Japan, two of which were caught by Caroline Moquin-Joubert. Other notable contributions came from Alexane Fournier, Marianne Quirion, and Frederique Morneau. Canada made an impressive comeback in the second half, erasing a halftime deficit of 20-13 with 21 unanswered points.
Apart from aiming for the world title, teams are also vying for a chance to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The top two finishers at the world championships will secure Olympic spots as the sport makes its debut on the Olympic program. All matches of the event will be live-streamed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.