Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu was born in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria on August 1st, 1976 and is the Soccer Player. At the age of 47, Nwankwo Kanu biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 47 years old, Nwankwo Kanu has this physical status:
Nwankwo Kanu, OON (born 1 August 1976), is a Nigerian retired footballer who played as a forward.
He was a member of the Nigerian national team.
Kanu is a native of Abia State, southeast Nigeria, and a member of the Aro sub-group of the Igbo ethnic group.
Nwankwo means "Child born on Nkwo market day" in the Igbo language.Kanu played for Nigerian team Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Dutch side Ajax, Inter Milan of Italy, and English clubs Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth.Kanu 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 one of few players to have won the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal.
He made the third-most substitute appearances in Premier League history, appearing from the bench 118 times, and is regarded as one of the best players in African football history.He is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and African brand ambassador for digital TV operator StarTimes.
He is also the owner of Kanu Sports TV, an Internet Sports Television which position to be the first indigenous sports TV in Nigeria, Kanu Sports Television
Personal life
Kanu is a native of Abia State, southeast Nigeria, and a member of the Aro sub-group of the Igbo ethnic group. Nwankwo means "Child born on Nkwo market day" in the Igbo language.
Kanu's younger brother, Christopher, was also a footballer, who played as a defender; he also has another younger brother, Ogbonna. Kanu is a Christian.
Kanu was born with a congenital heart defect, which impeded his aortic valve from closing properly; it was discovered and operated on in 1996. Although it was feared that he would not play again, and that it would affect his career, he made a full recovery. He undergoes an annual medical check-up for the condition. In March 2014, he successfully underwent corrective heart surgery once again, in the United States.
Club career
Kanu began his career at Federation Works, a Nigerian league club, before moving to Iwuanyanwu Nationale. After a successful showing at the U-17 World Championships, he was signed by Dutch Ef Ajax in 1993 for an undisclosed fee. He made his Ajax debut in 2005 and went on to score 25 goals in 54 appearances. In Ajax's 1995 UEFA Champions League final victory over AC Milan, Kanu also served as a sub. In the 1996 UEFA Champions League Final against Juventus, he got his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League Final.
Ajax sold Kanu to Inter Milan's Serie A team in 1996 for around $4.7 million. He captained the Nigeria national team that won gold at the Olympics, and scored two late goals against Brazil in the semi-finals, turning a 2–3 scoreline into a 4–3 victory in extra time. Kanu was also named African Footballer of the Year for the first year.
However, Kanu underwent a medical examination at Inter, which revealed a serious heart abnormality, and doctors' belief that his career was over. In November, he underwent successful surgery to repair an aortic valve, but he did not return to his club until April 1997. Kanu regularly cites his faith as a Christian, and has often referred to this trying time in his career as a time when he prayed to God. Kanu's experience led to his founding of the Kanu Heart Foundation, a charity that assists mostly young African children with heart defects and whose mission was expanded to include homeless children in 2008.
Kanu was released by Arsenal in February 1999, after just twelve league games and one goal for Inter, for whom Inter was a fan of Inter. In the FA Cup, he made his Arsenal debut against Sheffield United. With the score 1–1 and ten minutes remaining, Sheffield United goalkeeper Alan Kelly kicked the ball out of place, ensuring that Lee Morris' treatment could be administered. When Ray Parlour's ball was called back to action by Kelly, Kanu chased the throw-in down the right wing unchallenged and centered the ball for Marc Overmars, who scored to make the match 2–1. Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger admitted that it was not correct sportsmanship and offered to re-play the game, which Arsenal then won by Arsenal.
Despite the incidents surrounding 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 score the game's only goal. He quickly became known for his goal scoring prowess from the bench, scoring important goals against Sheffield Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspur, and Aston Villa as a replacement. He became well-known among the fans for his two-fingered salute against Middlesbrough in 1999, which he later explained was based on the team's nickname, The Gunners.
For the second time in 1999, Kanu was named African Footballer of the Year. He scored 17 times in 50 games for the Gunners, including a hat-trick against Chelsea in October 1999 to turn a 2–0 deficit into a 3–2 win. Arsenal turned down Fulham's offer of about £7 million for Kanu in August 2001. Kanu's appearances for Arsenal have gradually decreased, particularly after the introduction of Thierry Henry as Arsenal's first choice striker, with Kanu being mainly used as a back-up. Kanu won the 2003 FA Cup with Arsenal. Kanu, as well as other well-known players, such as Henry and Robert Pires, is a member of the "Invincibles," the Arsenal team that finished the 2003–04 season undefeated. He played for Arsenal for 197 games, scoring 44 goals. After his time with Arsenal came to an end, he moved to West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer in the summer of 2004. In 2008, Kanu was voted 13th in the "Gunners' Greatest 50 Players" poll.
In Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial game, Arsenal's first match to be played in Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium, Kanu appeared as a guest. Kanu scored the winning goal, making him the third individual to score in the stadium. Fans erupted as Kanu led the rest of the Arsenal team in hoisting the former Dutchman on their shoulders at the end of the game. When he appears at the Emirates Stadium, he remains a popular figure at Arsenal, with applause. He wore the number 25 shirt during his time with the club.
For the second time in the space of two years, West Bromwich Albion had been promoted to the Premier League for the second time. Kanu made his debut with the club on August 14, 2004, beating Blackburn Rovers 1–1 draw away. In a 1–1 home draw against Fulham on September 18, he scored his first goal for Albion, an 88th-minute equalizer. Kanu missed a match against Middlesbrough on November 14th, 2004; Albion 2–1 down. Kanu had a low cross over the bar from a yard away from the goal line. "How did he miss that?" manager Bryan Robson was seen on a television film declaring the word "how did he miss it?" Many media outlets featured Kanu's howler "Miss of the Season" and "Miss of the Season" in their end-of-season previews. Nevertheless, the 2004-2005 season was nonetheless a memorable one for West Bromwich Albion, as the first team to prevent relegation from the Premier League after being bottom of the table at Christmas.
On the 15th of October 2005, Kanu's former club Arsenal defeated The Hawthorns in one of the most memorable games of the 2005–06 season. In the 17th minute, Philippe Senderos led the visitors ahead, but Kanu equalized shortly before halftime. West Brom won the match 2–1 thanks to Darren Carter's spectacular attack. It was their first home victory over Arsenal since 1973, and the first time they had come from behind to win a Premier League match. Albion's season was atypical one, but the club was relegated at the end of 2005–06. Kanu's deal was terminated, and he did not renew it. He made 58 appearances in his two years with The Hawthorns, 16 of which as a substitute, and nine goals.
Following his release from West Brom, Kanu signed for Portsmouth on a one-year contract shortly before the 2006–07 season began. Following Harry Redknapp's return to Pompey as boss, the team had a revival in the second half of the year, saving relegation by four points despite being in serious danger at the start of the year. They were undefeated in their first five games, during which they did not concede a single point. On the first day of the 2006–07 Premier League season, Kanu made his Portsmouth debut as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers on August 19, 2006. He scored twice and missed a penalty. Kanu finished the season as the top goalscorer for Portsmouth with 12 goals in total. He then agreed to a new one-year contract with the club.
Kanu scored in both the FA Cup 1–0 semi-final win over West Bromwich Albion and the 1–0 victory over Cardiff City in the FA Cup final, earning him his third FA Cup champion's medal.
Portsmouth 2–0 up in their eventual 2–2 UEFA Cup draw with Italian club AC Milan in their first goal of the 2008–09 season. He scored the winning goal against Bolton Wanderers, assuring Pompey's mathematical stability. It was his first Premier League victory of 2008–09. In August 2010, he re-signed with Pompey with the intention of becoming a mentor after he resigned. Kanu signed a three-year contract and retained the number 27 shirt, but he wasn't a regular starter on the season and only scored two goals.
His playing time was reduced during the 2011–12 season, with only from the bench. He was also suspended from the bench after Steve Cotterill's departure and the arrival of Michael Appleton. Portsmouth had been involved in a relegation war that eventually resulted in them being relegated to League One by May 2012, aided by a point deduction for joining administration. Due to the fact that Kanu and six other players were the highest-earning players at the club, the Administrator was hoping to find an agreement to end the player's contracts. Kanu and Aaron Mokoena were expected to leave the team on July 9, 2012, after failing to attend the first day of pre-season training. Kanu threatened to sue Portsmouth for unpaid back wages. Kanu decided to leave Portsmouth on July 30, but he later said he was still in a dispute over unpaid wages that the club owes him. In April 2013, he declared that he had dropped the lawsuit and cleared the club of the £3 million he said he owed.
International career
Kanu played for the Nigeria national team from 1994 to 2010, making his debut in a friendly against Sweden. Kanu was instrumental in Nigeria's overall triumph at the 1993 FIFA World Championship in Japan, as well as their subsequent 2–1 victory over Ghana in the final. With five goals, he became the second joint-scorer in the tournament, behind compatriot and captain Wilson Oruma.
Kanu also earned the Olympic gold medal in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, where he scored the winning goal in the 4–3 semi-final victory over Brazil, his second goal of the game. Following Nigeria's retirement from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Kanu's international career came to an end on June 24, 2010. The Super Eagles lost their group matches against Argentina and Greece, before drawing 2–2 with South Korea. He earned 86 caps and 13 goals for his country, as well as Muda Law, before Joseph Yobo surpassed both players in 2012, winning his 87th cap. Despite being a striker, he wore the number 4 shirt for the national team.