Canada’s men and women have progressed to the quarterfinals of the flag football world championships held in Germany. The men, with a 2-1 record, secured a spot after a 37-28 loss to Japan, who was led by quarterback Take Taniguchi throwing five touchdown passes. Former CFL quarterback Michael O’Connor contributed three TD passes for Canada. Due to Nigeria’s withdrawal from the tournament due to visa issues, Canada received an automatic win and is set to face American Samoa in the quarterfinals after they upset the top-ranked U.S. team.
On the other hand, the women’s team finished first in their group with a flawless 3-0 record following a 34-20 victory over Japan. Quarterback Sara Parker shined with four touchdown passes, two of which were caught by Caroline Moquin-Joubert. The women’s team will face Austria in the quarterfinals, with a potential semifinal matchup against the winner of Mexico and Spain on the horizon.
During the game against Japan, Alexane Fournier and Marianne Quirion also caught TD passes, with Frederique Morneau scoring a crucial rushing touchdown that helped Canada overcome a halftime deficit with 21 unanswered points in the second half. Besides the pursuit of the world title, teams are vying for a chance to secure berths for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The top-two finishers at the world championships will earn Olympic spots as the sport makes its debut in the program.
Fans can catch all the matches of the event through live streams on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.