Another African wins the Super Bowl

Sunday 12th of February was reserved for one of the biggest events ever in the world of sports: Super Bowl. The final game of the most popular sports in USA, American football, was watched by an impressive 113 million crowd from all over the globe, a one percent increase in comparison to last year's big game and the broadcast's greatest viewership in six years. And the finalists, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, deliver. They played an excellent and thrilling match (38-35) which ended with a last second score for the win and second title for Kansas in three years. And Africa had a direct participant in the finals - Prince Tega Wanogho.

The Nigerian born offensive tackle participated in the game and was seen on the pitch afterwards with a Nigerian flag, saying “We did it”.

"It is a blessing. This is the biggest stage in football. That's why everybody wants to come here, everybody wants to do this. A lot of people back home, they are proud of me and just looking forward, trying to get that opportunity, the same opportunity to come here someday and do the same thing" he told AFP.

Wanogho was born in Delta State in southeast Nigeria, but moved to USA, Alabama and soon was recruited to a sport section in high school, due to his physical attributes. Initially thinking of playing basketball, Wanogho was soon transferred to a school football team.

"I remember my first start in high school, I didn't really know what I was doing. I was literally just running around. They just told me to go get a ball or go get a quarterback and that is what I was doing. But then in college you start understanding the game even more, and in the NFL the concept actually changes because now you've got to understand the whole game, the whole field. You've got to see everything" he recalled.

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He impressed NFL scouts in his colleague years enough to put him on the draft, where he was chosen by one of the Sunday’s finalists, Philadelphia Eagles in 2020. He was a member of the practice squad without seeing the first team football, until the new champions Kansas City Chiefs signed him and he became the Super Bowl champion. His story is an inspiration for more Africans who want to pursue career in the America’s most popular sport.

"We've got good athletes over there, so why not? Why not open that new opportunity for the next generation or the next kids? I feel like they've got a lot of talent over there, so why not explore that. Football is like a new sport over there in Nigeria right now and it's developing fast, everybody is interested. I really want to try to give back there some day too and just try to teach kids the game back there. Who knows?" said Prince.

Apart from Wanogho, there are other African stars, current and past ones in the NFL, with more success than Prince. Osi Umenyiora was a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants as well as his teammate Mathias Kiwanuka - the grandson of Uganda's first prime minister. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is a current member of Houston Texans, while Ghana’s Ezekiel Ansah – plays for the San Francisco 49ers. One of the best defensive players in the NFL and a Super bowl champion with Tampa Bay is Cameroonian Ndamukong Suh.