Nigerian · Owerri, Nigeria · Born 1 August 1976Nigerian striker who overcame heart surgery to win Champions League with Ajax, Olympic gold, and became Arsenal legend known for dramatic goals
Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu was born on 1 August 1976 in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, and grew up playing barefoot street football with makeshift rubber balls, honing his skills without formal coaching until his early teens. He joined local side Federation Works before moving to Iwuanyanwu Nationale, and his standout performances at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship, where he scored four goals to help Nigeria win the title, announced him to the wider football world. At 1.97 metres tall, Kanu possessed a rare combination of physical size and delicate technical ability, favouring an improvisational, almost balletic style built around scoops, flicks, and body feints unusual for a player of his height. Ajax signed him in 1993, and he won the 1995 Champions League as a substitute before Inter Milan signed him for around €4 million in 1996 — at the time one of the highest fees ever paid for an African player. Shortly after arriving in Italy, a medical examination at Inter revealed a serious congenital heart defect, and Kanu underwent open-heart surgery in November 1996 to repair a faulty aortic valve, sidelining him for nearly a year and threatening to end his career before it had truly begun. Inter president Massimo Moratti personally covered the cost of the procedure, and Kanu returned to professional football in 1997, going on to join Arsenal in 1999 for around £4.15 million. Kanu won the Premier League, FA Cup, and was part of Arsenal's Champions League runners-up squad, becoming one of only a handful of players in history to have won the Champions League, UEFA Cup, Premier League, and an Olympic gold medal, the latter earned captaining Nigeria to victory at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He earned 87 caps for Nigeria across three decades and three World Cups, and in 2000 founded the Kanu Heart Foundation, which has since funded open-heart surgery for over 500 African children.
Scoring dramatic late goals and winning Olympic gold for Nigeria
How They Played
Tall, skillful striker with excellent ball control and ability to score crucial goals
Lasting Impact
Pioneer for African players in European football and philanthropist
Career Honours
- Champions League 1995 (Ajax)
- Olympic Gold 1996
- FA Cup 2x
- African Player of Year 2x
- 86 Nigeria caps
- Champions League 1995
- FA Cup 2002
- FA Cup 2003
| Club | Period | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iwuanyanwu | 1993–1993 | — | 44 | #25 |
| Ajax | 1993–1996 | 54 | 25 | — |
| Inter Milan | 1996–1999 | 12 | 2 | — |
| Arsenal | 1999–2004 | 197 | 44 | — |
| Portsmouth | 2006–2012 | 175 | 22 | — |
| West Bromwich Albion | 2004–2005 | 22 | 4 | — |
 Nigeria | — | 87 | 12 | — |
Nigerian Athletes