7. Nwankwo Kanu
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Nwankwo Kanu was born on the 1st of August 1976, beginning his career at Federation Works. Then, he moved to Iwuanyanwu Nationale where he played for 11 years as a youngster, scoring 15 goals in 25 major appearances. In 1993, Dutch club Ajax snapped him up for just €207,000. The following year, he made his debut, striking 25 goals in 54 matches as he won it all in the game. 3 consecutive league titles, the UEFA Champions League, the Super Cup & the Intercontinental Cup. In 1996 he moved to Inter Milan for $4.7 million, but scans revealed a heart defect which meant he had to undergo surgery in November and could not return to Italy until April 1997. His incredible experience would eventually lead to him founding the Kanu Heart Foundation for African kids suffering from heart defects and homelessness. In 1999, Arsenal signed him for £4.15 million, but he caused an outrage by assisting an Overmars goal on his debut in a confusing fair play situation to win it 2-1. That led to a replay, which they again won – with Marc Overmars scoring again. Kanu’s biggest moment in Arsenal colours was a hat-trick in 15 minutes to take Arsenal from 2-0 down to a 3-2 win against bitter London rivals Chelsea. He won two league titles and two FA Cups there, including that famous unbeaten season. In 2004, he signed for West Bromwich Albion, scoring only 9 goals in 58 games. He left one year later to Portsmouth, becoming a crucial part of their famous 2008 FA Cup winning side. However, they slipped into administration and he was one of a number of players to be owed wages since 2006 – his were £3 million!
Kanu made a big impression in the 1993 U-17 World Cup that Nigeria won(which earned him the Ajax move). He was part of Nigeria’s 1996 Gold Medal winners in Atlanta, as well as the side that beat Uzbekistan in the Afro-Asian Cup of Nations. He is a two-time African Footballer of the Year, in 1996 & 1999, as well as a winner of the BBC African Footballer of the Year in 1997 and in 1999 as well. He was capped a total of 87 times for his country, scoring 12 international goals.
