Joseph Addai

Addai has continued to be an integral part of the winning season that the  Colts have been having.  In Week 12 he rushed 15 times for a total of 69 yards, and caught three passes for 13 yards. He was instrumental in a winning game against the Houston Texans when he scored the winning touchdown in the 4th quarter, helping the Colts keep their winning record with a 20-17 win.

The Colts and the New Orleans Saints are the only two teams with an unbeaten record.  It will be interesting to see if they can continue this all the way into the Superbowl.

Osi Umenyiora

He didn’t disappoint either.  He forced a fumble by Redskin’s Jason Campbell, and then ran the ball back 37 yards to score a touchdown. Teammate Mathias Kiwanuka said that he knew he had to go to the endzone when he saw Osi pick up the ball.

This is his third career touchdown and the second time that he has recorded a sack, force fumble, fumble recovery, and a touchdown all in one game.  Aaahhhh!  Welcome back Osi.  Great to see that the knee surgery was successful and he is none the worse for wear over that lateral meniscus tear.

Onyewu’s parents moved to the U.S. from Nigeria and he grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and then Olney, Maryland where he played soccer in school.  He was voted U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year on December 26, 2006 and was the first defender to earn the award since Alexi Lalas in 1995.  He played for the U.S. in the FIFA World Cup 2006, and then played exceptionally well in the 2009 Confederations Cup match against Egypt, and was crucial in the victory against Spain in the same competition.  His stats are impressive and A.C. Milan is looking to reap the rewards of signing a great player to their roster.

Fans agreed that the game was indeed one worthy of a final battle.  The Emerging Boks were strong opponents who went down fighting tooth and nail.  The Kenyan team acknowledged that it was not an easy win.  In an interview with Safarisevens.com,  the Kenyan team manager, Oscar Osir noted that “the best two teams have qualified for the final. The Kenyan boys are hungry for the title as they would love to end their sevens season on a high.”

Congratulations to the Kenyan team AND the Emerging Boks for a great game worthy of the title ‘Championship Final’.

Aladu Aminu is still in the running and a relatively strong contender.  There are still questions about his ability to fit into a defined position since he is weak in a number of areas.  Nonetheless, he will be one to watch.  Chinemelu Elonu is still in the draft after making a final decision to forego his final year at Texas A&M (to the disappointment of the Aggies).  He performed better than expected and is fully expecting to be drafted.

Martin Kolikoli, another player from Tanzania, was also an early entrant into the draft and is still going strong.  Some of the players we had mentioned previously have dropped out of the draft.  These include Gani Lawal, Ater Majok (Sudan), and Amadou Aboubakar Zaki (Nigeria).

It will be interesting to see where everyone ends up.  Jamati.com will keep you posted.

Another shocker in the game was the loss by Fiji to the United States (10-15). Like South Africa, Fiji was favored to win and their loss meant that they will not be in the quarter finals. Wales beat New Zealand 28-17 to make it through to the next round.  Samoa and Australia will not be in the quarter finals.

The Canadian Rubgy team has been struggling to regain it’s composure after a 55-0 thrashing by Ireland in it’s European tour.   It was so bad that the Irish Times described the 15th-ranked visitors as “the hopeless and hapless Canucks.”  Flankers Aaron Carpenter and Adam Kleeberger and winger Justin Mensah-Coker were the three key players in the game that night, but could not hold back the Irish tide that swept the game away.

Canada is now slated to face 7th-ranked Wales and their coach is bracing himself for what could be another trouncing.   Good luck Canada.    You might need it against Wales.

The Giants have also had this on their minds, and there has been talk of a possible recall of Michael Strahan out of retirement. He has been very vocal about being content to be an anchor so who knows if the NFL can woo him back. Others have talked about bringing Kiwanuka back from the linebacker position (one he is very good at) to the defensive end position (one he is not as good at). It would be better to keep him in a position he is strong in, and find someone else to fill the defense position. No point in having two holes in the team.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Osi as he goes through his healing period.

Other European countries are not left out. Eusebio, Portugal’s greatest player, was born in Mozambique and is frequently seen in the stands cheering on the ‘Seleccao das Quinas’ at the ongoing championship. In the current squad, Nani and Miguel have ties to Cape Verde, while new Chelsea signing Jose Bosingwa was born in Congo DR. Switzerland has a midfield gem in Gelson Fernandes, who could have laced his boots for Cape Verde, as well as Arsenal’s Johan Djorou of Ivorian origin.

Fans of the Black Stars of Ghana will see winger David Odonkor in the German squad. While Sweden can boast of former Barcelona and Manchester United striker Henrik Larsson, who also has links to Cape Verde; and goalkeeper Rami Schaaban, who almost played for the Pharaohs of Egypt. Finally, with many Moroccans living in the Netherlands, two of them, Khalid Boulahrouz and Ibrahim Afellay are in the Oranje Euro 2008 squad.The line-up below, in a 4-2-2 formation, would surely give teams at the Euros or the African Nations Cup a run for their money. GK: Madanda DF: Bosingwa, Miguel, Boulahrouz, Evra MF: Nasri, Vieira, Makelele, Nani FW: Benzema, Larsson Subs: Schabaan, Djorou, Diarra, Fernandes, Govou, Odonkor, Afellay, Gomis

Speculation in the Italian press suggests that Ancelotti favors Adebayor, and the Togo international has already agreed to personal terms with Milan. Coincidentally, Adebayor, who scored 24 premier leagues this past season, netted against Milan in March as Arsenal mustered a superb 2-0 victory in the Champions League at the San Siro.

However, the Italian giants are sure to face stiff opposition from Arsenal after already signing French midfielder Mathieu Flamini from the London club last month. With Adebayor valued at $64 million by the Gunners, it is unlikely Arsene Wenger will allow his top marksman to leave without a fight.