Loading
Nwankwo Kanu
| Born | 01 August 1976, 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.
Club stats
| 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 | Premier League | 24 | 7 |
12 |
2
|
|
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 4 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | UEFA Cup | 5 | 4 |
2 |
1
|
|
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | Worthington Cup | 1 | 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 | Premier League | 9 | 14 |
3 |
2
|
|
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 4 | 5 |
1
|
||
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | Worthington Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Arsenal | Premier League | 9 | 7 |
5 |
||
| 2002-03 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 2 | 6 |
1 |
||
| 2002-03 | Arsenal | Worthington Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Arsenal | Carling Cup | 4 | 2 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | 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 | Carling Cup | 1 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2005-06 | West Bromwich Albion | FA Cup | 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 | Carling Cup | 1 |
1 |
|||
| 2007-08 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 5 | 2 |
|||
| 2007-08 | Portsmouth | Premier League | 13 | 12 |
4 |
1
|
|
| 2008-09 | Portsmouth | Carling Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2008-09 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 2 |
||||
| 2008-09 | Portsmouth | Premier League | 3 | 14 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2008-09 | Portsmouth | UEFA Cup | 2 | 3 |
1 |
||
| 2009-10 | Portsmouth | Carling Cup | 4 |
2 |
|||
| 2009-10 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2009-10 | Portsmouth | Premier League | 6 | 17 |
2 |
||
| 2010-11 | Portsmouth | Carling Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2010-11 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2010-11 | Portsmouth | League Championship | 13 | 19 |
2 |
||
| 2011-12 | Portsmouth | Carling Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2011-12 | Portsmouth | League Championship | 3 | 7 |
1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| 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.
Club history
| 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 |
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | Nigeria | International | 1 | ||||
| 1994-95 | Nigeria | International | 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 | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1999-00 | Nigeria | African Nations Cup | 6 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2000-01 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 2 |
2 |
||
| 2001-02 | Nigeria | African Nations Cup | 4 | 2 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Nigeria | International | 3 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Nigeria | African Nations Cup | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Nigeria | International | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Nigeria | African Nations Cup | 5 | 1 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Nigeria | International | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 2005-06 | Nigeria | African Nations Cup | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 2005-06 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
1 |
|||
| 2006-07 | Nigeria | African Nations Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2007-08 | Nigeria | African Nations Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Nigeria | International | 2 | ||||
| 2008-09 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 3 |
|||
| 2008-09 | Nigeria | International | 2 | ||||
| 2009-10 | Nigeria | African Nations Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2009-10 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2009-10 | Nigeria | International | 1 | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 May 1994 | Sweden v Nigeria | L | 3-1 | International | |
| 16 Nov 1994 | England v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | International | |
| 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 Feb 1998 | Jamaica v Nigeria | D | 2-2 | International | |
| 22 Apr 1998 | Germany v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | International | |
| 05 Jun 1998 | Netherlands v Nigeria | L | 5-1 | International | |
| 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 | African Nations Cup | Group D |
| 28 Jan 2000 | Nigeria v Congo | D | 0-0 | African Nations Cup | Group D |
| 03 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v Morocco | W | 2-0 | African Nations Cup | Group D |
| 07 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v Senegal | W | 2-1 | African Nations Cup | Quarter-final |
| 10 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v South Africa | W | 2-0 | African Nations Cup | Semi-final |
| 13 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v Cameroon | D | 2-2 | African Nations Cup | 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 | African Nations Cup | Finals Group A |
| 24 Jan 2002 | Mali v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | African Nations Cup | Finals Group A |
| 28 Jan 2002 | Liberia v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | African Nations Cup | Finals Group A |
| 03 Feb 2002 | Nigeria v Ghana | W | 1-0 | African Nations Cup | Finals quarter-final |
| 07 Feb 2002 | Nigeria v Senegal | W | 2-1 | African Nations Cup | Finals semi-final |
| 09 Feb 2002 | Mali v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | African Nations Cup | Finals 3rd place |
| 26 Mar 2002 | Nigeria v Paraguay | D | 1-1 | International | |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Scotland v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | International | |
| 16 May 2002 | Republic of Ireland v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | International | |
| 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 | |
| 07 Jun 2003 | Nigeria v Malawi | W | 4-1 | African Nations Cup | Group 1 |
| 11 Jun 2003 | Nigeria v Brazil | L | 0-3 | International | |
| 26 Jul 2003 | Nigeria v Venezuela | W | 1-0 | International | |
| 27 Jan 2004 | Nigeria v Morocco | L | 0-1 | African Nations Cup | Finals Group D |
| 31 Jan 2004 | Nigeria v South Africa | W | 4-0 | African Nations Cup | Finals Group D |
| 04 Feb 2004 | Benin v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | African Nations Cup | Finals Group D |
| 08 Feb 2004 | Cameroon v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | African Nations Cup | Quarter-final |
| 11 Feb 2004 | Tunisia v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | African Nations Cup | Semi-final |
| 13 Feb 2004 | Nigeria v Mali | W | 2-1 | African Nations Cup | 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 |
| 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 | African Nations Cup | Group D |
| 04 Feb 2006 | Nigeria v Tunisia | D | 1-1 | African Nations Cup | Group C |
| 07 Feb 2006 | Nigeria v Ivory Coast | L | 0-1 | African Nations Cup | |
| 24 Mar 2007 | Nigeria v Uganda | W | 1-0 | African Nations Cup | Group 3 |
| 02 Jun 2007 | Uganda v Nigeria | L | 2-1 | African Nations Cup | Group 3 |
| 22 Aug 2007 | FYR Macedonia v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | International | |
| 08 Sep 2007 | Nigeria v Lesotho | W | 2-0 | African Nations Cup | Group 3 |
| 21 Jan 2008 | Ivory Coast v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | African Nations Cup | Finals Group B |
| 27 May 2008 | Austria v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | International | |
| 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 |
| 11 Feb 2009 | Nigeria v Jamaica | D | 0-0 | International | |
| 02 Jun 2009 | France v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | International | |
| 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 | African Nations Cup | Group stage |
| 30 Jan 2010 | Nigeria v Algeria | W | 1-0 | African Nations Cup | 3rd place play-off |
| 25 May 2010 | Nigeria v Saudi Arabia | D | 0-0 | International | |
| 06 Jun 2010 | North Korea v Nigeria | W | 1-3 | International | |
| 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.