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Dayo Odeyingbo and Dare Ogunbowale star in huge week for Nigeria in NFL

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo had the standout performance, among many impressive showings, from players of Nigerian descent in Week 4 of the NFL season.

Houston Texans' Dare Ogunbowale, whose sister, WNBA star Arike Ogunbowale, was in attendance, also had a week to remember and secured the Moment of the Week mention.

There were also some standout displays by players with roots in Benin, Burundi, Liberia, Ghana and South Africa.

African Player of the Week: Dayo Odeyingbo (Indianapolis Colts)

Odeyingbo, who is the son of Nigerian immigrants, put in a mammoth performance for the Colts in their 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Guinea-born Liberian teammate Kwity Paye out of the game with injury, there was pressure on Odeyingbo to step up and put in a big shift on defense. He most certainly obliged, causing nightmares for Steelers quarterback Justin Fields.

With just over a minute left in the first half, Fields tried to weave his way through onrushing traffic but could not find his way past Odeyingbo, who sacked him for four yards.

On the same drive, with 18 seconds remaining until half-time, Odeyingbo got the better of him again as he snuck around the back of Fields, who was brought in from the Chicago Bears in the offseason, and halted him in his tracks. This afforded time for Tyquan Lewis to arrive at the scene and help Odeyingbo complete the sack.

Officially credited with one and a half sacks in Sunday's game, Odeyingbo now has two for the season.

African Moment of the Week: Dare Ogunbowale (Houston Texans)

Ogunbowale, another son of Nigerian parents, scored the winning touchdown for the Texans in their 24-20 win over his old team, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars held a 20-17 lead with the Texans 2nd & goal when running back Ogunbowale snuck into the corner and received the pass from C.J. Stroud for the touchdown with 18 seconds left.

The script could hardly have been written any better for Ogunbowale. Not only was it against the Jaguars, who he played for from 2020-2021, but sister Arike Ogunbowale - of the Dallas Wings who only two months ago won her second All-Star Game MVP award - was there to celebrate the moment with him.

Honorable Mentions:

Odafe Oweh, yet another Nigerian-American, was one more who represented his country superbly in Week 4. He picked up a sack as his Baltimore Ravens continued their bounceback from a poor start to the season with a 35-10 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Levi Onwuzurike, another compatriot, picked up half a sack and was also on the winning side as the Detroit Lions beat the Seattle Seahawks 42-29.

Amani Oruwariye was another player of Nigerian descent to have a big moment in a win as he picked up an interception for the Dallas Cowboys in their 20-15 win over the New York Giants.

The game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints - which the Falcons won 26-24 - saw players from other African countries shine.

Matthew Judon - who is of Burundian descent - made a crucial play when he tipped a pass from Derek Carr, allowing Troy Andersen to run it back 47 yards for the pick-six.

For the Saints, Alvin Kamara - who is of Liberian descent - scored a touchdown of his own while Paulson Adebo, whose roots are in Benin, got an interception and made 12 tackles.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah - of Ghanaian descent, as his gameday fits each week famously show - was another player who had a big game on defense but ultimately lost as his Cleveland Browns went down 20-16 to the Las Vegas Raiders despite his nine tackles.

Africa-born Player Watch:

South Africa-born kicker Greg Joseph had a strong game for the New York Giants despite their defeat to the Cowboys. He went 5/5 from field goals to make a statement after a chaotic offseason which saw him leave the Minnesota Vikings for the Packers, get released by the Packers, get signed to the Detroit Lions practice squad and then finally sign for the Giants.

Emmanuel Ogbah, who is from Lagos, Nigeria, picked up an interception for the Miami Dolphins against the Tennessee Titans, but was on the losing side as the Dolphins went down 31-12.

The NFL airs live and with repeats on ESPN's channels in Africa (DStv 218 and 219, Starsat 248).