In the short term, the Senegal men’s national team aspire to conquer the continent by becoming the first-ever champion at Africa Flag 2025 in Cairo this month. But the bigger goal for the west African nation is to develop American football in Senegal, with the ultimate prize their target.

“This national team will also help show that practicing this sport is not an inaccessible myth, despite the resources it requires,” says head coach Abdou Diatta. “Our ambition is to reach the top and regularly participate in high-level competitions such as the World Championships and the Olympic Games.

“One of the major steps will be to develop and train the next generation of players to ensure the sustainability of this sport and make Senegal one of the breeding grounds for future talent in the major American football and flag football leagues around the world.”

Such a lofty goal and the road to establishing Senegal on the flag football map kicks off in Egypt when on June 20 and 21, the Lions of Teranga make their debut on the international stage.

A national team has been assembled from the regions of Dakar, Thies and St Louis, with a mix of flag football players and others with backgrounds in basketball, athletics and rugby.

“We do not yet have a structured championship here in Senegal, so we made our selection from the different camps that we organized,” explained coach Diatta. “The players were evaluated on their skills and their commitment, and discipline plays a crucial role.

“The selection prom different part of Senegal has created a beautiful diversity within the group. From an athletic standpoint their experience in different sports gives them transferable skills such as speed, agility, and coordination.”

Diatta discovered American football through social media and movies and a passion for team sports and physical contact naturally led him to American football and, by extension, to flag football. He joined the APSUS club of coach Amadou Deme, who introduced Diatta to the online coaching training of the Fédération Française de Football Américain.

His Senegal team will reflect the principles he learned through the FFFA, bringing a dynamic attack with strong play and a fierce defense thanks to fast and strategic players.

“My philosophy is based on three points,” Diatta explains. “Discipline: Maintaining constant rigor in training. Adaptation: Evolving according to the opponent's strengths and weaknesses. Team spirit: Building a culture where everyone plays for the team.”

There is another connection to the French federation in former President and wide receiver Marc-Angelo Soumah, who assisted Senegal with overcoming the challenges of creating a national team.

“The first hurdle is financial,” says Diatta. “It takes a lot to set up this kind of project. Fortunately for us we have Mr. Soumah who spared no effort to facilitate our presence at this event.

“Then organizationally our players come from different regions of Senegal, so the difficulty is to be able to bring them together in one place in such a short time, especially since most of them are students.”

 “Facing unfamiliar opponents will be very difficult for us, but also for others. We will focus on our physical and tactical potential by developing varied game plans adapted to different situations and against different attacking and defensive styles.”

No matter what obstacles might lie in their path, Senegal intends to make their presence known on the continental stage.

“We are honored to represent Senegal at this tournament,” added Diatta. “Despite the presence of other nations that are much more advanced in American football and flag football, we intend to play our part to the fullest.”