Canada’s flag football teams kicked off their campaign at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) world championship in Düsseldorf, Germany, with impressive victories on Thursday. The Canadian women’s team started strong with a win over Panama, where quarterback Sara Parker threw four touchdowns, three of which were caught by wide receiver Caroline Moquin-Joubert and one by Laura Molimard, securing a 27-14 victory.
In their match against Brazil, the Canadian women dominated the first half with a 20-0 lead and went on to win convincingly with a final score of 36-6. Marianne Quirion and Frédérique Morneau each contributed two touchdown catches in that game, with Molimard adding another.
On the men’s side, Team Canada secured a 26-6 win against Austria in their sole matchup of the day. Quarterback Michael O’Connor excelled, completing 19 of 24 passes for four touchdowns.
Apart from the pursuit of a world title, teams are also vying for spots in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The top two finishers at the world championships will earn direct qualification for the Olympics, marking the sport’s debut on the Olympic program.
Both Canadian teams will conclude their group stage matches on Friday against Japan, with the men playing at 2 a.m. ET and the women at 4:30 a.m. ET. All event matches will be live-streamed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
Although the Canadian men were initially set to face Nigeria, the Nigerian team withdrew from the tournament due to visa issues, resulting in Canada being awarded an automatic win.
Don’t miss the exciting action as Team Canada continues their quest for glory at the IFAF World Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany.