Nwankwo Kanu

Nwankwo Kanu

Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu was born on the 1st of August 1976 in Owerri, Nigeria, usually known simply as Kanu and nicknamed Papilo, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Portsmouth and also for the Nigerian national team. He is a member of the Igbo ethnic group, his name, Nwankwo, meaning "Babyboy born on Nkwo market day" in the Igbo language. He is the most highly-decorated African footballer in footballing history, having 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 the only current Premier League player to have won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, Premier League, FA Cup and an Olympic Gold
Medal.He is also a UNICEF ambassador.

Personal information

Full name Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu
Date of birth 1 August 1976 (1976-08-01) (age 33)
Place of birth Owerri, Nigeria
Height 1.97 m (6 ft 5+1/2 in)
Playing position Striker

Club information

Current club Portsmouth
Number 27

Senior career*
Years Club Apps (Goals)†
1991–1992 Fed Works 035 (20)
1992–1993 Iwuanyanwu Nationale 025 (15)
1993–1996 Ajax 054 (25)
1996–1999 Internazionale 011 0(1)
1999–2004 Arsenal 119 (30)
2004–2006 West Bromwich Albion 053 0(7)
2006– Portsmouth 084 (15)

National team
1994– Nigeria 079 (13)




Career

Early career

Kanu began his career, aged fifteen, at First Division club Federation Works before moving to Iwuanyanwu Nationale in 1992. After a notable performance at the U-17 World Championships he was signed by Ajax Amsterdam in 1993 for €207,047. He made his Ajax debut in 1994 and went on to play 54 times for the Dutch side, scoring 25 goals; Kanu came on as a sub in Ajax's 1995 Champions League final win over AC Milan. In 1996, Ajax sold him to Serie A side Internazionale for around $4.7 million; that summer he captained the Nigerian team that won gold at the Olympics, famously scoring 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,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. Kanu is known throughout Africa for his philanthropic work.

Portsmouth

Kanu was a free agent following his departure from West Brom, and he signed for Portsmouth F.C. on a one-year deal shortly before the start of the 2006-07 season. 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 2006-07 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.

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.

International career

Kanu has been a member of the Nigerian national team since 1994, making his debut against Sweden in a friendly. He (as of September 2009) has 78 caps and has scored 13 goals for his country. As well as winning the Olympics gold in the football event at Atlanta (1996), Kanu participated in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. Earlier on at the start of his career, Kanu was instrumental in Nigeria's overall success at the FIFA U-17 tournament in Japan (1993) and in their subsequent 2-1 victory over Ghana in the final.

He is the current captain of the Nigerian national team.

Honours

Country

* FIFA U-17 World Cup
o 1993 Winner (Gold Medal)

* FIFA World Cup
o Appearances: 1998 (Second Round), 2002 (First Round)

* African Cup of Nations
o Appearances: 2000 (Silver Medal), 2002 (Bronze Medal), 2004 (Bronze Medal), 2006 (Bronze Medal), 2008 (Quarter Finalist)

* Olympic Games
o 1996 Olympic Games (Gold Medal)

Club

* Nigerian Premier League: 1
o 1992-93, Iwuanyanwu Nationale

* Eredivisie: 3
o 1993-94, selected stars of Mgboushimini in Agip]]
o 1994-95, Ajax
o 1995-96, Ajax

* UEFA Champions League: 1
o 1994-95, Ajax

* UEFA Super Cup: 1
o 1995, Ajax

* Intercontinental Cup: 1
o 1995, Ajax

* UEFA Cup: 1
o 1997-98, Internazionale

* English Premier League: 2
o 2001-02, Arsenal
o 2003-04, Arsenal

* FA Cup: 3
o 2001-02, Arsenal
o 2002-03, Arsenal
o 2007-08, Portsmouth

* FA Community Shield: 1
o 1999, Arsenal

* Barclays Asia Trophy: 1
o 2007, Portsmouth

Awards

* 1996, African Footballer of the Year
* 1999, African Footballer of the Year