Nwankwo Kanu

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Nwankwo Kanu
Kanu.jpg
Kanu playing for Portsmouth
Personal information
Full name Nwankwo Kanu[1]
Date of birth (1976-08-01) 1 August 1976 (age 36)
Place of birth Owerri, Nigeria
Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[2]
Playing position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1992–1993 Iwuanyanwu Nationale 25 (15)
1993–1996 Ajax 54 (25)
1996–1999 Internazionale 12 (1)
1999–2004 Arsenal 119 (35)
2004–2006 West Bromwich Albion 53 (7)
2006–2012 Portsmouth 143 (20)
Total 406 (103)
National team‡
1993 Nigeria U17 6 (5)
1996 Nigeria U23 6 (3)
1994–2011 Nigeria 87 (13)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 July 2012.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 July 2011

Nwankwo Kanu, OON (born 1 August 1976), or simply Kanu, is a retired Nigerian footballer. He was a member of and later captained the Nigerian national team for 16 years from 1994 until 2010. Kanu is a member of the Igbo ethnic group;[3] his name, Nwankwo, means Child born on Nkwo market day in the Igbo language.[4]

Kanu has won a UEFA Champions League medal, a UEFA Cup medal, three FA Cup Winners Medals and two African Player of the Year awards amongst others. He is also one of few players to have won the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal.[5] He made the second-most substitute appearances in Premier League history, appearing from the bench 118 times.[6] He is also a UNICEF ambassador.[7]

Contents

Early career [edit]

Born in Owerri, Nigeria, Kanu began his career at Nigerian league club Federation Works, before moving to Iwuanyanwu Nationale. After a notable performance at the U-17 World Championships he was signed by Dutch Eredivisie AFC Ajax in 1993 for €207,047. He made his Ajax debut the following year and went on to score 25 goals in 54 appearances. Kanu also came on as a sub in Ajax's 1995 Champions League final win over AC Milan. In 1996, Ajax sold Kanu to Serie A side Internazionale for around $4.7 million that summer he captained the Nigerian team that won gold at the Olympics, and scored two late goals in the semi-finals against powerhouses Brazil to overturn a 2–3 scoreline into a 4–3 win in extra time. Kanu was also named African Footballer of the Year for that year. However, soon after returning from the Olympics, Kanu underwent a medical examination at Inter, which revealed a serious heart defect; he underwent surgery in November 1996 to replace an aortic valve and did not return to his club until April 1997. In interviews, Kanu frequently cites his faith as a Christian,[8] and has often mentioned this trying time of his career as an occasion when he prayed to God. Kanu's experience also led to his founding the Kanu Heart Foundation, an organisation that helps predominantly young African children who suffer heart defects and whose work was expanded to provide aid for homeless children in 2008.[9] Kanu is known throughout Africa for his philanthropic work.

Senior career [edit]

Arsenal [edit]

In February 1999, after just twelve games and one goal for Inter, Kanu was signed by Arsenal for approximately £4.15 million. His debut for Arsenal, against Sheffield United in the FA Cup, was a highly unusual match. With the score 1–1 and ten minutes to go, the United goalkeeper, Alan Kelly, kicked the ball out of touch so that treatment could be given to an injured player. When the ball was thrown back into play by Ray Parlour, although it was intended for Kelly, Kanu was unaware of the circumstances. Thinking it to be an attacking move, he chased the throw-in down the right wing unchallenged, and centred the ball for Marc Overmars, who promptly scored to make the match 2–1. Immediately after the match Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger offered to right the error and replay the match;[10] in the end, Arsenal won that match 2–1 as well.[11]

Despite the events overshadowing his debut, Kanu's career was quickly revived at Arsenal. He scored his first goal for the club in the next round of the cup against Derby County, coming off the bench to net the only goal of the game. He quickly became known for his goalscoring prowess from the bench, scoring important goals against Sheffield Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa as a substitute. He became very popular among the fans for his two-fingered salute – something that he later explained was based on the team's nickname, The Gunners – which started in 1999 against Middlesbrough.

Kanu was named African Footballer of the Year for the second time in 1999, and in 1999–2000 he scored 17 times in 50 matches for the Gunners, including a hatrick in fifteen minutes against Chelsea to turn a 2–0 deficit to a 3–2 victory. In August 2001, Arsenal rejected a bid from Fulham of "around £7m" for Kanu.[12] However, Kanu's appearances for Arsenal gradually became less frequent, particularly after the emergence of Thierry Henry as Arsenal's first choice striker, when Kanu was mainly used as a substitute. Despite this, Kanu won the Double with Arsenal in 2002, an FA Cup in 2003 (as an unused sub) and the Premier League title in 2004. In all he played 197 games for Arsenal (nearly half of them as a substitute), scoring 44 goals. In the summer of 2004, after his contract with Arsenal ended, he moved to West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer.

In 2008, Kanu was voted 13th in the "Gunners' Greatest 50 Players" poll.[13]

West Bromwich Albion [edit]

West Brom had just been promoted to the FA Premier League for the second time in the space of two years. Kanu started as a regular for the club, making his debut in a 1–1 draw away at Blackburn Rovers on 14 August 2004. He scored his first goal for Albion on 18 September 2004, an 88th-minute equalizer in a 1–1 home draw against Fulham. In a match against Middlesbrough on 14 November 2004, Kanu was guilty of an incredible miss in injury time, with Albion 2–1 down. Kanu had sent a low cross over the bar from a yard away from the goal line. Manager Bryan Robson was seen in TV footage mouthing the words "How did he miss that?", and Kanu's howler was crowned 'Miss of the Season' by many television stations in the end-of-season reviews. Nevertheless, the 2004–05 season was ultimately a memorable one for West Brom, as they became the first club to avoid relegation from the Premier League after being bottom of the table at Christmas.

One of the most memorable games of the 2005–06 season for Kanu came with the visit of his former club Arsenal to The Hawthorns on 15 October 2005. Philippe Senderos put the visitors ahead in the 17th minute, but Kanu equalised shortly before half time. West Brom went on to win the match 2–1 with a spectacular strike from Darren Carter. It was their first home win over Arsenal since 1973,[14] and the first time that they had come from behind to win a Premier League game.[15] But such highlights were rare for Albion that season, and the club was relegated at the end of 2005–06. Kanu's contract had expired, and he chose not to renew it. In his two years at The Hawthorns he made a total of 58 appearances – 16 of them as a substitute – and scored nine goals.

In the summer of 2006, Kanu played as a guest for Arsenal in Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial game, the first match to be played in Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium. The game was tied 1–1 when Kanu scored the winning goal, making him the third person to score in the stadium. At the end of the match, Kanu joined the rest of the Arsenal side in hoisting the retired Dutchman on their shoulders as fans gave him a standing ovation. He remains a popular figure at Arsenal, being applauded when he appears at the Emirates Stadium.

Portsmouth [edit]

Kanu was a free agent following his departure from West Brom, and he signed for Portsmouth on a one-year deal shortly before the start of the 2006–07 season.[16] Pompey had undergone a revival in the second half of the previous campaign, following the return of Harry Redknapp as manager, avoiding relegation by four points after being in serious danger at the turn of the year. At the start of the 2006–07 season, they were undefeated in their first five games, during which they did not concede a single goal. Kanu made his debut for Portsmouth as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers on 19 August 2006, the opening day of the 2006–2007 Premier League season. He scored twice and missed a penalty. Though Kanu led the top scorers chart early in the season, he had a goal drought for the rest of the season, but still finished as the top goalscorer for Portsmouth, with 12 goals.

Kanu in a match against A.C. Milan with Crouch, Kaboul, Little and Johnson.

In his second season at Portsmouth, Kanu scored in both the FA Cup 1–0 semi-final win against West Bromwich Albion and the 1–0 win in the final against Cardiff City, earning him a third FA Cup winner's medal.

His first goal of the 2008–09 season put Portsmouth 2–0 up in their eventual 2–2 UEFA Cup draw with Italian club A.C. Milan. He later scored the winning goal against Bolton Wanderers, which ensured Pompey's mathematical safety. It was his only Premier League goal of 2008–2009. He re-signed with Pompey in August 2010, with an eye on becoming a coach when he retired.[17] Kanu signed a three-year deal and kept the number 27 shirt,[18] but was not a regular starter throughout the course of the season and only managed two goals.

During the 2011–12 season, his playing time was reduced, appearing only from the bench. After the departure of Steve Cotterill, and the arrival of Michael Appleton, he was also removed from the bench, due to fitness and injury problems. By May 2012, aided by a point deduction for entering administration Portsmouth had found themselves in a relegation battle which eventually ended in them relegated to Football League One. To cut costs the Administrator hopes to reach agreement to terminate the contracts of Kanu along with six other players due to them being the highest-earning players at the club. On 9 July 2012, it was announced that Kanu and Aaron Mokoena were expected to leave the club after failing to attend the first day back at pre-season training[19] On 13 July 2012, Kanu says he going to sue Portsmouth, claiming up to £3m in periods of unpaid wages since 2006.[20] It was announced on 30 July, that Kanu had agreed to leave Portsmouth, but that he was still in a dispute over wages that had been unpaid by the Hampshire club.[21]

International career [edit]

Kanu was a member of the Nigerian national team from 1994 until 2010, making his debut in friendly against Sweden. Earlier on at the start of his career, Kanu was instrumental in Nigeria's overall success at the 1993 FIFA U-17 tournament in Japan and their subsequent 2–1 victory over Ghana in the final. With five goals, he was second joint-scorer in the tournament with Peter Anosike and Manuel Neira, behind compatriot and Captain Wilson Oruma.

As well as winning the Olympics gold in the football event at 1996 Olympics,[22] Kanu participated in the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups. On 24 June 2010, Kanu ended his international career following Nigeria's exit from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Nigeria lost their group matches against Argentina and Greece, before a 2–2 draw with South Korea ended their stay in the tournament.[23] He won 86 caps and scored 13 goals for his country and was the joint most capped Nigerian player of all-time alongside Muda Lawal, until Joseph Yobo surpassed both players in 2012, winning his 87th cap.

Career statistics [edit]

Club[24][25] [edit]

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Nigeria League Nigerian FA Cup League Cup Africa Total
1992–93 Iwuanyanwu Nationale Premier League 30 6 30 6
Netherlands League KNVB Cup League Cup Europe Total
1993–94 Ajax Eredivisie 6 2 - -
1994–95 18 10 1 1 7 1 26 12
1995–96 30 13 - - 9 0 39 13
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1996–97 Internazionale Milano Serie A 0 0 0 0 0 0
1997–98 11 1 5 0 16 1
1998–99 1 0 1 0
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
1998–99 Arsenal Premier League 12 6 5 1 - - - - 17 7
1999-00 31 12 2 0 1 1 15 3 49 16
2000–01 27 3 1 0 - - 14 2 42 5
2001–02 23 3 5 2 2 1 9 0 39 6
2002–03 16 5 1 0 1 0 8 1 26 6
2003–04 10 1 3 0 4 2 7 0 24 3
2004–05 West Bromwich Albion 28 2 2 1 - - - - 30 3
2005–06 25 5 1 0 2 1 - - 28 6
2006–07 Portsmouth 36 10 2 2 - - - - 38 12
2007–08 25 4 5 2 1 1 - - 31 7
2008–09 17 1 2 0 1 0 5 1 25 2
2009–10 23 2 1 0 4 2 - - 28 4
2010–11 Championship 30 2 1 0 1 0 - - 32 2
2011–12 10 1 0 0 1 0 - - 11 1
Total Nigeria 60 15 60 15
Netherlands 54 25 16 1 70 26
Italy 12 1 5 0 17 1
England 305 56 31 8 18 8 58 7 412 79
Career total 431 97 31 8 18 8 79 8 559 121
  • Stats accurate as at 20:16, 5 March 2012
    • Not including 1999 Charity Shield appearance and goal

International [edit]

As of 23 December 2011.[26]
Nigeria national team
Year Apps Goals
1994 3 0
1995 2 1
1996 0 0
1997 1 0
1998 5 1
1999 0 0
2000 10 1
2001 6 2
2002 11 0
2003 4 3
2004 7 0
2005 6 2
2006 8 0
2007 6 2
2008 6 0
2009 5 0
2010 5 0
2011 1 0
Total 87 12

International goals [edit]

Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 21 October 1995 Pakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent  Uzbekistan 3–1 3–2 1995 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
2 5 June 1998 Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam  Netherlands 1–3 1–5 Friendly
3 22 April 2000 Lagos National Stadium, Lagos  Eritrea 4–0 4–0 2002 World Cup qualifier
4 27 January 2001 Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt  Sudan 3–0 3–0 2002 World Cup qualifier
5 5 May 2001 Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt  Liberia 1–0 2–0 2002 World Cup qualifier
6 25 May 2003 Independence Park, Kingston  Jamaica 2–2 2–3 Friendly
7 7 June 2003 Abuja Stadium, Abuja  Malawi 3–1 4–1 2004 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier
8 4–1
9 26 March 2005 Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt  Gabon 2–0 2–0 2006 World Cup qualifier
10 8 October 2005 Abuja Stadium, Abuja  Zimbabwe 4–1 5–1 2006 World Cup qualifier
11 24 March 2007 MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta  Uganda 1–0 1–0 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier
12 17 June 2007 Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey  Niger 1–0 3–1 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier

Honours [edit]

Club [edit]

Iwuanyanwu Nationale
Ajax
Internazionale
Arsenal
Portsmouth

Country [edit]

Nigeria Nigeria

Individual [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Mainstream Publishing. p. 228. ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0. 
  2. ^ "Player Profile: Nwankwo Kanu". Premier League. Retrieved 31 January 2012. 
  3. ^ "Semi-final success unites Nigeria". BBC News. 11 February 2000. Retrieved 2009-01-25. "Two of the Super Eagles' top international stars, Arsenal star Nwankwo Kanu and Paris St Germain's Augustine 'Jay-Jay' Okocha are Ibo." 
  4. ^ Meaning of Nwankwo in. Nigerian.name (24 January 2008). Retrieved on 2012-01-11.
  5. ^ "Olympic Football Tournaments Seoul 1988 – Men". FIFA. 3 August 1996. 
  6. ^ All Time Player Records. Premiersoccerstats.com (13 August 2010). Retrieved on 2012-01-11.
  7. ^ "Kanu to tackle homeless problem". BBC Sport. 2 July 2008. 
  8. ^ Wilson, Jeremy (30 October 2006). "Portsmouth thrive on power of prayer and goals from born-again Kanu". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-03-11. 
  9. ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (2 July 2008). "BBC SPORT | Football | African | Kanu to tackle homeless problem". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-12-01. 
  10. ^ "Sport-wise it's not right". New Straits Times. 15 February 1999. Retrieved 2012-12-01. 
  11. ^ Shaw, Phil (24 February 1999). "Football: Overmars seals action replay – Sport". The Independent. Retrieved 2012-12-01. 
  12. ^ "Arsenal reject Kanu bid". BBC Sport. 15 August 2001. Retrieved 24 August 2011. 
  13. ^ Gunners' Greatest Players – 13. Kanu | News Archive | News. Arsenal.com (9 July 2008). Retrieved on 2012-01-11.
  14. ^ P.bacon, Chris (17 October 2005). "Injury-ravaged Arsenal losing sight of leaders". The Independent 
  15. ^ "WBA vs Arsenal". Official Albion website. 15 October 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-10. 
  16. ^ "Portsmouth complete Kanu signing". BBC Sport. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-10. 
  17. ^ Kanu to be coach (MTNfootball.com). Africanfootball.mtnfootball.com (28 August 2010). Retrieved on 2012-01-11.
  18. ^ Pompey sign Kanu and Rocha. Portsmouthfc.co.uk. Retrieved on 2012-01-11.
  19. ^ "Nwankwo Kanu and Aaron Mokoena set for Portsmouth exit". BBC Sport. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012. 
  20. ^ "Kanu set to sue Pompey". The Sun. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012. 
  21. ^ "Kanu's Portsmouth exit buoys administrator Trevor Birch". BBC Sport. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012. 
  22. ^ Olympic Football Tournaments Atlanta 1996 – Men. Nigeria – Argentina. Fifa.com Report. 3 August 1996. Retrieved on 2012-01-11.
  23. ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (24 June 2010). "World Cup 2010: Kanu calls time on Nigeria career". BBC Sport (BBC). Retrieved 2010-06-30. 
  24. ^ "Nwankwo Kanu Career Stats". Soccerbase. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012. 
  25. ^ "Nwankwo Kanu Career Stats (2)". national-football-teams.com. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012. 
  26. ^ Nwankwo Kanu – International Appearances. RSSSF. Retrieved on 2012-01-11.

External links [edit]

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Jay-Jay Okocha		 Nigeria Captain
2006–2010		 Succeeded by
Joseph Yobo
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