Alongside Jay Jay Okocha, John Obi Mikel, Samuel Eto, and Kelechi Iheanacho who cultivated a career in the Premiere League, there’s a legend that can't be missed from the list of the most popular African footballer who once played in the league - Kanu Nwankwo. The former Gunner came as a Champions League winner with Ajax and left as one of the best African players in the league. Think you know all about this famous Nigerian footballer? Read this article to explore everything about Kanu Nwankwo cars, net worth, career, and family, you will be astounded.
Kanu Nwankwo- one of the greatest African footballers
1. Who is Kanu Nwankwo?
Nwankwo Kanu is a retired footballer who used to represent Nigeria in the biggest playgrounds including the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup. Kanu was a member of the Nigerian football team winning the gold medal at the Olympics in which he scored twice to see off Brazil. For his performance during the tournament, Kanu later won the African Footballer of the Year Award.
Kanu Nwankwo age
Kanu was born on August, 1976 in Owerri, Nigeria of the Aro sub-group of Igbo ethnic group, so now he is 43. He is of the Aro sub-group of Igbo ethnic group.
Fact: His first name Nwankwo, in the Igbo language, means “Child born on Nkwo market day”.
The most decorated Nigerian footballer
2. Kanu Nwankwo career
We must all agree that the Premiere League is a high dose of strength and stamina test for any player. Those who have given their time in the league are of nothing to fear and ready to shine in any other places on earth. Look at the young Ronaldo who had it all at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, went on to be a Real Madrid legend in Spain, and now making his mark in the Juventus’ jersey, you know that the highest division of the English football organizations is one of the best and harshest league to play in the world. Nwankwo is one among those who span more than a decade at three different Premiere League clubs with his time in London playing for Arsenal the most memorable period of all. Know you might be too much of waiting to learn more about Kanu’s career, here we go!
He often shares photos of him with other football legends
The meeting of two influencial retired footballers
Kanu and his former coach Asene Wenger
2.1. Early career
Kanu first made impressions to big European clubs in the jersey of Iwuanyanwu Nationale but before that he was a team member of Federation Works at the Nigerian league.
With his superb performance at the U-18 World Championships, Kanu was reached by AFC Ajax and signed for the club in 1993. Here was where he won the most notable trophy- the 1995 Champions League.
2.2. Inter Milan
He left Europe’s champions in 1996 for Inter Milan with a $4.7 contract. The same year, he led the Nigerian football team to win the Olympics Gold and won the African Footballer of the Year.
After the Olympics campaign, Kanu was diagnosed with a heart defect which urged a surgery he took in November 1996. This experience gives him a profound understanding of the difficulties victims of diseases might encounter and he decided to found the Kanu Heart Foundation. This foundation initially helped children with heart defects. In 2008, the foundation expanded to provide assistance to homeless children in the young continent as well.
2.3. Arsenal
Serie-A seemed not a place for him. He left the club in February with his surgery occupying most of his 3-year spell at the club playing only 12 games scoring a goal. The next destination was Arsenal where he spent the next years with.
Kanu’s move reportedly cost the London side £4.15 million. Kanu only needed two games to open the scoring for Arsenal against Derby County after coming off the bench. His next games with Arsenal also told the same story of a player who was substituted, then got onto the pitch to score important goals for Arsenal.
In 1999, Kanu received his second African Footballer of the Year and went on for world-class performances afterwards. Rumours of his move to Fulham with an offer of £7m started arising but the Nigerian extinguished any clues of it with his loyalty put in the Gunners.
He joined and became a Arsenal legend
With the more favored Thierry Henry in front, Kanu was gradually a bench warmer.
Nwankwo was involved in the invincible Arsenal (including Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, and Dennis Bergkamp, etc) in the Premiere League in the 2002-2003 season following the 2003 FA Cup title.
In his time at Arsenal, Kanu netted 44 goals in 197 games. The scoring record was halted with his move to West Bromwich Albion in the 2004 summer. But his relationship with the London club didn’t end there. In 2008, he was voted the 15th greatest players of Arsenal.
2.4. West Bromwich Albion
Joining West Bromwich Albion brought him more chances on the field, being regularly picked for the first team line-up. His debut was on August 14, 2004. It took him nearly a month to score the first goal for the club in 18 September helping the team draw against Fulham. A sad memory at the club was when he missed a one-yard-away goal against Middlesbrough in the injury time, which was voted the “Miss of the Season” by lots of media outlets. But the season itself was a sweet memory to him as well as the club when witnessing the first club to stay at the Premiere League for the next season in spite of at the last spot of the table at Christmas.
Kanu made an impressive performance during a match against his former club Arsenal on October 15, 2005 with a 2-1 victory which ended the chains of loss against the Gunners for his then club as well as helped the Hawthorns successfully steamrolled a club in the Premiere League for the first time.
2.5. Portsmouth
His final destination as well as where he spent the longest time at was Portsmouth, playing from 2006 to 2012 and retired afterwards.
2.6. International career
Nwankwo was one of the most decorated players in the Nigerian football history. From his debut in 1994, until 2010 had he won the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Cup contributing 5 goals in the tournament, 1996 Olympic Gold Medal with a key goal against Brazil in the semi-final, 1995 Afro-Asian Cups of Nations, and 2000 African Cup of Nations.
Video: Nwankwo Kanu | Highlights Skills Goals | 03/09/2016 (Arsenal Legends vs Milan Legends) | HD
3. Kanu Nwankwo’s family
Kanu has been getting married for 15 years. Tying the knot with his then-18-year-old wife Amarachi in 2004, they are having 2 boys and a girl.
Despite the marriage, Amarachi completed her Architecture major at university and later a MBA degree.
His wife Amarachi has a big love for education
More than anything is his love for the litle family
He once wrote on his Instagram: "There's only one Arsenal, Me and my Queen @amarakanu"
They are one of the happiest couple in the Nigerian celebrities
4. Kanu Nwankwo’s net worth - once the richest football player in Nigeria
At his peak, playing for the Premiere League clubs, Kano was known as the richest football player in Nigeria. His income was inflated with other businesses most of which are of real estate. For that, his net worth was reportedly approximately at $9 million.
5. Kanu Nwankwo house and cars
Aside from the reputable career as a player, Kanu Nwankwo is also as tycoon who got his hands in many successful businesses of his own.
Kanu Nwankwo mansions
The Nigerian player has many houses and mansions catered in different places such as Hardley Apartments located on Victoria Island or houses in London, Dubai, Abuja, Lagos, and Owerri, etc which were said to be worth N150m. These mansions and houses were not built for the sole purpose of family's use but sources of his income as well. Amongst them, the Harley Apartment augments his income the most for being located in the most pretigous piece of land in Nigeria. However, it used to be at hard times for pollution and noise and not until the condition improved, did the business flourish.
He is earning big from real estates
Along those assets above, there were rumours of his house and estates in Abuja, or hotels and houses far in London and Dubai but there were no reports confirming it.
Back in his time at Portmouth, the Nigerian legend was reported by The Sun to get drown in a grave debt which torn away his possession of a house in London, a Mercedes and two Audis.
Kanu Nwankwo cars
Though being known for a millionaire and having luxury car brands like Ferrari, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz in his garage, he rarely shares photos of those exotic belongings because to him, social media is a place to get people informed of his lifestyles and dedication to the world, not a place to boast.
Without his first son Sean Kanu sharing the photos of his car on Instagram, people might never know what car the Nigerian football legend drives. It was a blue Ferrari his family ride in during their time in London.
This is a rare occasion fans could sight one of his supercars
It is a blue Ferrari
His first son Sean Kanu give a brief introduction of the car
Besides Sean, Kanu has a son called Onyekachi Kanu and daughter Pinky Amerachi Kanu
Sean is going to give his father a lift?
Seems he is raising his sons to love speed
Another time of him appearing with a car was at St Leo's church in Ikeja on October 23, 2013. As part of a charity activity, Kanu was there to give out a brand-new Kia.
Image source: Luisdlikeblog
Conclusion
Throughout the history of the Nigerian football, Kanu stands out as the greatest monument the country has born and he might be as well an irreplaceable one in the future. Naijauto.com hopes that our articles on the greatest Nigerian footballer Kanu Nwankwo, cars, net worth, career, and family.
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