The NFL lands in Africa with the first event in its history and a question mark: Are its athletes the future of American football?

This year, when the Nigerians Chigbo Roy Mbaeteka, Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi Y Kehinde Hassan Oginni approached the Indianapolis “International Combine,” an NFL-sponsored foreign player recruitment program, all of Africa lined up behind them with the aim of adding another continent’s figure to American football. The balance sheet is unbeatable: the three sign their first contract with different teams and they will be in the most popular league in American sports.

Despite they had never played a football game in their life, the biotype of African athletes was devastating when it came to records for speed, jumps, reaction and strength, among other characteristics. “The dynamics of sport will be adopted during the training sessions, with teammates”, explain the specialists. In 2021, Chilean Sammis Reyes, a former basketball player who signed for the Washington Commanders, realized that dream and chatted with Clarín.

Attentive to the signals coming from the other side of the world, the NFL has announced that it will hold an event in Africa for the first time, a field that will focus on the search for talent but which adds to the expansion policy that the league has established beyond outside the borders of North America.

NFL Africa: The Touchdown. This will be the name of the first official NFL event on that continent, which kicks off on June 21 in Accra, the capital of Ghana. In addition to the scouting of future stars, there will be a fan event and a clinic that will describe the most important aspects of American football.

With more than 100 players of African descent (born in Africa or first generation born in the United States), the league seeks to restore its sport to that region. The event will be attended by current NFL stars, such as Nigerians Uchenna Nwosu and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (Super Bowl champion with the Rams in February), Liberian Kwity Paye or Ghanaian Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and ancient legends such as the native of ‘ Uganda, Mathias Kiwanuka, or the Cameroonian Roman Oben, champion in 2002 with the Tampa Bay Buccaners.

40 players from all over Africa will be on the field, resulting from a selection process carried out by another old American football star, the English Osi Umenyiora, of Nigerian origin, NFL legend and twice defender Super Bowl Bowl winner with the New York Giants in 2005 and 2007.

“This is a truly remarkable initiative,” Umenyiora said. He added: “Not only does this field offer opportunities for great African athletes, but it also highlights the amazing African athletes already in the NFL. The positive impact of this cannot be underestimated.”

In Nigeria, Umenyiora founded “The Uprise”, a football program that has toured his country, Ghana and South Africa in recent months. Distinguished players have been invited to the next NFL camp, which will take place in Ghana.

The fan event will feature the entire American show, from a rerun of the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders, as well as prizes and giveaways from the team, the first to focus on Africa.

“We want to offer an opportunity for the next generation of potential African customers to showcase and further develop their talent,” said Damani Leech, director of international operations for the NFL. The best talents in the field could be invited to participate in the “International Combine” recruitment program, the one that this year allowed three Nigerians to join the NFL. For the little ones, aged 16 to 19, there is the opportunity to attend the NFL Academy in London.

Other than Africa, the NFL’s sights are much farther on the horizon. The next destination is Oceania, more precisely in countries like Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia, where the oval ball is synonymous with rugby. At least for now.