NWANKWO
KANU
Age
49 yrs
Height
1.97m
Caps / Goals
87 / 13
Who is Nwankwo
Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu is a two-time CAF African Footballer of the Year and one of a handful of players to have won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, Premier League and an Olympic Gold Medal. He captained Nigeria to Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold, won AFCON 1994 with the Super Eagles, and recovered from major heart surgery in 1996 to rebuild a 14-year European career at Ajax, Inter, Arsenal, West Brom and Portsmouth. At 1.97m he was a near-unique technical forward for his size, famous for the scoop, flick and off-balance improvisation. He played 87 times for Nigeria across three decades (1994–2010) and is the founder of the Kanu Heart Foundation, which funds paediatric cardiac surgery across West Africa.
Tactical DNA
Kanu played striker at 1.97m but never as a classical target man. His first touch, body angles and scoop finish belonged to a 1.75m No. 10; the frame that produced them was a Premier League centre-back's. That mismatch made him almost impossible to defend in tight areas. At Arsenal under Arsène Wenger he became a super-substitute specialist, famous for the 15-minute 1999 hat-trick at Stamford Bridge that turned a 2-0 Chelsea lead into a 3-2 Arsenal away win.
The story of his career is also a medical story. In 1996, weeks after winning Olympic gold and while signing for Inter Milan, Kanu was diagnosed with a serious aortic valve defect and underwent open-heart surgery. He missed most of a season, returned to top-level football at 22 and joined Arsenal in 1999 for £4.15m, where he became a Double winner (1999–2002) and an Invincible (2003–04). Few forwards in Premier League history have combined his technical ceiling with his backstory.
Career Journey
NPFL breakthrough as a 16-year-old. Scouted by Ajax after the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship, where Nigeria won the title in Japan.
Won the 1995 UEFA Champions League at 18, playing off the bench in the final vs AC Milan. Back-to-back Eredivisie titles (1994, 1995, 1996). Intercontinental Cup winner 1995.
UEFA Cup winner 1998. Career interrupted by heart surgery in November 1996. Rarely played ahead of Ronaldo Nazário after his return.
Two Premier League titles (2001–02 Double, 2003–04 Invincibles). Three FA Cups. The 1999 15-minute hat-trick at Chelsea. Key rotation forward across Wenger's second-generation title sides.
Led the 'Great Escape' Premier League survival in 2004–05 — West Brom became the first club to survive from bottom at Christmas. Kanu's presence anchored the dressing room.
Scored the winning goal in the 2008 FA Cup Final vs Cardiff City. This was Portsmouth's first major trophy in 58 years. Played through Portsmouth's 2010 administration and relegation before retiring at 35.
Current Season Stats
Live Datamilitary_techHonours
UEFA Champions League
Ajax 1994–95
UEFA Cup
Inter Milan 1997–98
Premier League
Arsenal 2001–02, 2003–04 (Invincibles)
FA Cup
Arsenal 2002, 2003, 2005; Portsmouth 2008
Olympic Gold Medal
Atlanta 1996 — Nigeria captain
AFCON Winner
Nigeria 1994
CAF African Footballer of the Year
1996, 1999
FIFA U-17 World Championship
Nigeria 1993 (Japan)
flagWith Nigeria (Super Eagles) — retired 2010
Beyond the Pitch
Born 1 August 1976 in Owerri, Imo State, south-east Nigeria. Full name Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu. Grew up in Owerri's Orji district and joined local side Federation Works before breaking into the NPFL with Iwuanyanwu Nationale in 1992. His younger brother Christopher Kanu also played professionally at Peterborough and Leyton Orient.
Founded the Kanu Heart Foundation in 2000 after his own cardiac surgery. The foundation has funded open-heart surgery for more than 500 African children — primarily Nigerian — and operates a cardiac centre in Abuja. Kanu is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and was awarded Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Married to Amara Kanu since 2004; the couple have three sons. Operates the Hardley Apartments hotel group in Lagos and Abuja. Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2020 and remains a regular pundit on SuperSport, BBC Africa and Nigerian sports TV.
Expert Analysis
Nwankwo Q&A
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Last updated 2026-04-22 · written by Amara Okafor.