Week 5 of the NFL season saw more big performances across the board from African players, but many who put in strong shifts ultimately had to endure the bitter taste of defeat.
However, for Lagos-born linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah, a solid day's work on defense was ultimately rewarded with a crucial win for the Miami Dolphins over the New England Patriots in which he was one of their best players.
Other standout performers with roots in Africa included the Cleveland Browns' Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Ghana) and the San Francisco 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk (Cameroon), while another player with roots in Nigeria - Nnamdi Madubuike - had a moment to remember.
African Player of the Week: Emmanuel Ogbah (Miami Dolphins)
Ogbah continued with his fine start to the NFL season in the Dolphins' 15-10 win over the New England Patriots with four tackles, one sack and five pressures.
The Dolphins - who are struggling on offense with Tua Tagovailoa having been out injured since September 17 due to recurring concussion-related problems - desperately needed a win to keep them within striking distance in the race for the playoffs.
They needed every ounce of effort on defense and Ogbah gave just that. In the first half, he not only sacked Jacoby Brissett, but also sent the Patriots six yards back on another play with a tackle on Hunter Henry.
Although the Pats had initially gained four yards before Ogbah stopped Henry in his tracks, they were sent back 10 due to a holding call on Rhamondre Stevenson.
After his interception in the Dolphins' previous game against the Tennessee Titans, Ogbah's fine run of form continues and he now has two sacks for the season.
African Moment of the Week: Nnamdi Madubuike (Baltimore Ravens)
Madubuike, who is of Nigerian descent, was one of the standout defensive players in the league last season with 13 regular season sacks. This season, he has struggled to get out of the blocks, but he picked the perfect moment to get his first sack of 2024.
The Ravens had spent much of their clash with the Cincinnati Bengals on the back foot, but they leveled the scores at 38-38 with 1:35 left.
However, that meant the Bengals would have the ball and one last opportunity to seal the win before the game went into overtime. Up stepped Madubuike to sack Joe Burrow on first down, halting the Bengals in their tracks.
Ultimately, it was the Ravens who would snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in overtime and go 3-2 for the season and top of the AFC North.
Honorable Mentions:
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was a strong contender for Player of the Week. Ultimately, the only reason why he did not receive the honor this week was because of the Cleveland Browns' abysmal performance in a 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders.
However, as he so often is, the linebacker of Ghanaian descent was one of the lone shining stars with five tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception.
Brandon Aiyuk was another player who probably felt hard done by after gaining 147 yards off eight catches for the San Francisco 49ers only for them to lose 24-23 to the Arizona Cardinals.
Josh Uche, who is of Nigerian heritage, also tasted defeat despite a sack for the Patriots against the Dolphins.
Chuba Hubbard, also of Nigerian heritage, got a touchdown and 97 running yards for the Carolina Panthers but was on the end of a 36-10 drubbing against the Chicago Bears, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba (of Sierra Leonean descent) got a touchdown for the Seattle Seahawks but suffered a 29-20 loss to the New York Giants.
Anfernee Orji, who is of Nigerian descent, got his first start at linebacker for the New Orleans Saints a day after his 24th birthday against the Kansas City Chiefs. He picked up 10 tackles, but also had moments where the game against the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions would have felt like a baptism of fire as the Chiefs won 26-13.
However, there were African players whose strong performances were rewarded with wins. Dare Ogunbowale (of Nigerian descent) earned the Houston Texans 30 rushing yards and 57 receiving yards in a 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills, while Lagos-born David Onyemata got a sack for the Atlanta Falcons in a 36-30 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Africa-born Player Watch:
Onyemata and Ogbah represented Lagos with honor in week five. Kader Kohou, who was born in Abidjan, also had a strong game for the Dolphins with five tackles and one pass defended.
Meanwhile, South African-born Greg Joseph continued his impressive start to the season with the New York Giants with 3/3 field goals in their win over the Seahawks.
The NFL airs live and with repeats on ESPN's channels in sub-Saharan Africa (DStv 218 and 219, Starsat 248)