Date of birth | 01 August 1976 |
Place of birth | Owerri |
Nationality | Nigerian |
Weight | 84 kg |
Height | 1.93 m |
Position | Forward |
A superstar of African football, Kanu overcame major heart surgery to become a key member of the successful Arsenal side following his move from Inter Milan in 1999.
He began at Fed Works and Iwuanyanwu in the domestic league and he starred in the 1993 African and World Youth Championships where his performances earned him a move to Ajax.
His international debut was not long after playing in May 1994 against Sweden.
He had a good career at Ajax culminating in a European Champions League winners medal in 1995.
He helped Nigeria to a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic games and won a big move to Serie A team Inter Milan immediately after.
His career was threatened by a serious heart condition which needed surgery to correct, but he forced his way back representing Nigeria in the 1998 World Cup Finals.
He signed for Arsenal in 1999 and became a vital member of their successful side.
He joined West Bromwich Albion in July 2004 with a three-year contract before moving on to Portsmouth in August 2006 on a one-year deal that was extended to June 2008 in August 2007 and to June 2009 in August 2008.
He then remained at Pompey on a monthly basis before agreeing a new one-year deal in September 2009.
His Pompey contract was extended to June 2013 in September 2010 before it was cancelled in July 2012.
Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
---|---|---|---|
Federation Works | 01 Jul 1991 | 01 Jul 1992 | |
Iwuanyanwu Nationale | 01 Jul 1992 | 01 Jul 1993 | |
Ajax | 01 Jul 1993 | 01 Jul 1996 | |
Internazionale | 01 Jul 1996 | 04 Feb 1999 | |
Arsenal | 04 Feb 1999 | 30 Jun 2004 | |
West Bromwich Albion | 30 Jul 2004 | 30 Jun 2006 | |
Portsmouth | 17 Aug 2006 | 30 Jul 2012 |
Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996-97 | Rest of the World | Representative | 1 |
||||
1998-99 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 4 |
1 |
|||
1998-99 | Arsenal | Premier League | 5 | 7 |
6 |
||
1999-00 | Arsenal | FA Charity Shield | 1 | 1 |
|||
1999-00 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 2 |
||||
1999-00 | Arsenal | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
1999-00 | Arsenal | Premier League | 24 | 7 |
12 |
2
|
|
1999-00 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 4 | 2 |
1 |
||
1999-00 | Arsenal | UEFA Cup | 5 | 4 |
2 |
1
|
|
2000-01 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
2000-01 | Arsenal | Premier League | 13 | 14 |
3 |
1
|
|
2000-01 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 11 | 3 |
2 |
||
2001-02 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 3 | 2 |
2 |
||
2001-02 | Arsenal | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
2001-02 | Arsenal | Premier League | 9 | 14 |
3 |
2
|
|
2001-02 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 4 | 5 |
1
|
||
2002-03 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
2002-03 | Arsenal | League Cup | 1 | ||||
2002-03 | Arsenal | Premier League | 9 | 7 |
5 |
||
2002-03 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 2 | 6 |
1 |
||
2003-04 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | 2 |
|||
2003-04 | Arsenal | League Cup | 4 | 2 |
|||
2003-04 | Arsenal | Premier League | 3 | 7 |
1 |
||
2003-04 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 1 | 6 |
|||
2004-05 | West Bromwich Albion | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
2004-05 | West Bromwich Albion | Premier League | 21 | 7 |
2 |
2
|
|
2005-06 | West Bromwich Albion | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
2005-06 | West Bromwich Albion | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
1 |
||
2005-06 | West Bromwich Albion | Premier League | 17 | 8 |
5 |
||
2006-07 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 2 |
2 |
|||
2006-07 | Portsmouth | Premier League | 32 | 4 |
10 |
3
|
|
2007-08 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 5 | 2 |
|||
2007-08 | Portsmouth | League Cup | 1 |
1 |
|||
2007-08 | Portsmouth | Premier League | 13 | 12 |
4 |
1
|
|
2008-09 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 2 |
||||
2008-09 | Portsmouth | League Cup | 1 |
||||
2008-09 | Portsmouth | Premier League | 3 | 14 |
1 |
1
|
|
2008-09 | Portsmouth | UEFA Cup | 2 | 3 |
1 |
||
2009-10 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
2009-10 | Portsmouth | League Cup | 4 |
2 |
|||
2009-10 | Portsmouth | Premier League | 6 | 17 |
2 |
||
2010-11 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
2010-11 | Portsmouth | League Championship | 13 | 19 |
2 |
||
2010-11 | Portsmouth | League Cup | 1 | ||||
2011-12 | Portsmouth | League Championship | 3 | 7 |
1 |
||
2011-12 | Portsmouth | League Cup | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 Apr 1997 | Europe v Rest of the World | W | 3-4 | Representative |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993-94 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
1994-95 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
1995-96 | Nigeria | Afro-Asian Cup of Nations | 2 | 1 |
|||
1995-96 | Nigeria | Olympics | 2 | 2 |
|||
1996-97 | Nigeria | Olympics | 6 | 3 |
|||
1997-98 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 2 |
|||
1997-98 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
1999-00 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 6 | ||||
1999-00 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
2000-01 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 2 |
2 |
||
2001-02 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 4 | 2 |
|||
2001-02 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
2001-02 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
2002-03 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 1 | 2 |
|||
2002-03 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
2003-04 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 5 | 1 |
|||
2003-04 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
2004-05 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 2 |
1 |
||
2005-06 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 1 | 5 |
|||
2005-06 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
1 |
|||
2005-06 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
2006-07 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 4 | 1 |
2 |
||
2006-07 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
2007-08 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 2 | ||||
2007-08 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
2007-08 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
2008-09 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 3 |
|||
2008-09 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
2009-10 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 1 | 1 |
|||
2009-10 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
2009-10 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
05 May 1994 | Sweden v Nigeria | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
25 May 1994 | Romania v Nigeria | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
16 Nov 1994 | England v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
12 Aug 1995 | Nigeria v Egypt | W | 3-2 | Olympics | Africa 2nd round |
21 Oct 1995 | Uzbekistan v Nigeria | W | 2-3 | AFRO-ASIAN CUP OF NATIONS | 1st leg |
10 Nov 1995 | Nigeria v Uzbekistan | W | 1-0 | Afro-Asian Cup of Nations | 2nd leg |
17 Mar 1996 | Nigeria v Zimbabwe | W | 1-0 | Olympics | Africa 3rd round |
21 Jul 1996 | Nigeria v Hungary | W | 1-0 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
23 Jul 1996 | Nigeria v Japan | W | 2-0 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
25 Jul 1996 | Brazil v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
28 Jul 1996 | Nigeria v Mexico | W | 2-0 | Olympics | Quarter-final |
31 Jul 1996 | Nigeria v Brazil | W | 4-3 | Olympics | Semi-final |
03 Aug 1996 | Nigeria v Argentina | W | 3-2 | Olympics | Final |
17 Aug 1997 | Guinea v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group 1 |
22 Apr 1998 | Germany v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
05 Jun 1998 | Netherlands v Nigeria | L | 5-1 | International Friendly | |
19 Jun 1998 | Nigeria v Bulgaria | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
24 Jun 1998 | Nigeria v Paraguay | L | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
28 Jun 1998 | Nigeria v Denmark | L | 1-4 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
23 Jan 2000 | Nigeria v Tunisia | W | 4-2 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
28 Jan 2000 | Nigeria v Congo | D | 0-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
03 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v Morocco | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
07 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v Senegal | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Quarter-final |
10 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v South Africa | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Semi-final |
13 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v Cameroon | L | 2-2 (3-4) | Africa Cup of Nations | Final |
09 Apr 2000 | Eritrea v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 1st round |
22 Apr 2000 | Nigeria v Eritrea | W | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 1st round |
17 Jun 2000 | Nigeria v Sierra Leone | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
09 Jul 2000 | Liberia v Nigeria | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
27 Jan 2001 | Nigeria v Sudan | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
10 Mar 2001 | Ghana v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
21 Apr 2001 | Sierra Leone v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
05 May 2001 | Nigeria v Liberia | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
01 Jul 2001 | Sudan v Nigeria | W | 0-4 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
28 Jul 2001 | Nigeria v Ghana | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
21 Jan 2002 | Algeria v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group A |
24 Jan 2002 | Mali v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group A |
28 Jan 2002 | Liberia v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group A |
03 Feb 2002 | Nigeria v Ghana | W | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals quarter-final |
07 Feb 2002 | Nigeria v Senegal | L | 1-2 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals semi-final |
09 Feb 2002 | Mali v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals 3rd place |
26 Mar 2002 | Nigeria v Paraguay | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
17 Apr 2002 | Scotland v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
16 May 2002 | Republic of Ireland v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
02 Jun 2002 | Argentina v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
07 Jun 2002 | Sweden v Nigeria | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
25 May 2003 | Jamaica v Nigeria | L | 3-2 | International Friendly | |
07 Jun 2003 | Nigeria v Malawi | W | 4-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 1 |
11 Jun 2003 | Nigeria v Brazil | L | 0-3 | International Friendly | |
26 Jul 2003 | Nigeria v Venezuela | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
27 Jan 2004 | Nigeria v Morocco | L | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group D |
31 Jan 2004 | Nigeria v South Africa | W | 4-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group D |
04 Feb 2004 | Benin v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group D |
08 Feb 2004 | Cameroon v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | Africa Cup of Nations | Quarter-final |
11 Feb 2004 | Tunisia v Nigeria | L | 1-1 (3-5) | Africa Cup of Nations | Semi-final |
13 Feb 2004 | Nigeria v Mali | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | 3rd place |
09 Oct 2004 | Gabon v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
26 Mar 2005 | Nigeria v Gabon | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
05 Jun 2005 | Rwanda v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
18 Jun 2005 | Nigeria v Angola | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
17 Aug 2005 | Libya v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
04 Sep 2005 | Algeria v Nigeria | W | 2-5 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
07 Oct 2005 | Nigeria v Zimbabwe | W | 5-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
23 Jan 2006 | Nigeria v Ghana | W | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
27 Jan 2006 | Nigeria v Zimbabwe | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
31 Jan 2006 | Nigeria v Senegal | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
04 Feb 2006 | Nigeria v Tunisia | W | 1-1 (6-5) | Africa Cup of Nations | Quarter-final |
07 Feb 2006 | Nigeria v Ivory Coast | L | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Semi-final |
09 Feb 2006 | Senegal v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | 3rd place |
02 Sep 2006 | Nigeria v Niger | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 3 |
08 Oct 2006 | Lesotho v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 3 |
24 Mar 2007 | Nigeria v Uganda | W | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 3 |
26 May 2007 | Kenya v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
02 Jun 2007 | Uganda v Nigeria | L | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 3 |
16 Jun 2007 | Niger v Nigeria | W | 1-3 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 3 |
22 Aug 2007 | North Macedonia v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
08 Sep 2007 | Nigeria v Lesotho | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 3 |
21 Jan 2008 | Ivory Coast v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group B |
27 May 2008 | Austria v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
01 Jun 2008 | Nigeria v South Africa | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 1st round group 4 |
07 Jun 2008 | Sierra Leone v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 1st round group 4 |
21 Jun 2008 | Nigeria v Equatorial Guinea | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 1st round group 4 |
19 Nov 2008 | Colombia v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
11 Feb 2009 | Nigeria v Jamaica | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
02 Jun 2009 | France v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
07 Jun 2009 | Nigeria v Kenya | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group B |
20 Jun 2009 | Tunisia v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group B |
06 Sep 2009 | Nigeria v Tunisia | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group B |
12 Jan 2010 | Egypt v Nigeria | L | 3-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group C |
30 Jan 2010 | Nigeria v Algeria | W | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | 3rd place play-off |
25 May 2010 | Nigeria v Saudi Arabia | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
06 Jun 2010 | Korea DPR v Nigeria | W | 1-3 | International Friendly | |
22 Jun 2010 | Nigeria v Korea Republic | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group B |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.