From Bill : Kanu memories
Hi Myles,
Ah, Kanu!
Like Will, I especially recall the Deportivo goal, and my being there that night in the process of recovering from a corneal ulcer (very painful)and with eyesight returning to nearly normal enjoying all the goals.
There were things about Kanu that make me think he could have been one of the greatest ever. But something was missing.
Word was at the time that he too much enjoyed the “third half”, the company of ladies in nightclubs and the on-field, rather than off-field, athletic commitment was lacking.
The other rumour of the time was about his age; that we were actually watching a much older player than the official figure! Timothy’s point makes me think too – do you always have to realise your full potential to become a legend and an inspiration ?
Remembering Kanu at Arsenal gives me that warm-inside football feeling ! That’ll do for me, regardless of things that might have been.
From Bergs : Kanu
Ahhh, heady days.
Loved Kanu, 2 favourite moments – a vicious toe-poke vs Bolton 2 seal a win we struggld in – true winner.
And a cannon he unleashed when we sealed the 02 Double @ Old Trafford. Where’d he hidden that?
Wenger didn’t play him as much as he should have.
Held his ground well with TH, DB & RP7, and could play in the same XI as them flawlessly.
Henry loved him – and he didn’t love the 05 team he left.
From David Kwalimwa : Kanu – last word
Myles,
I started following football and Arsenal in 2000.
Never had a chance to watch Nwankwo Kanu in his prime.
Was in high school – and couldn’t access a TV set – when the supposedly over aged Nigerian team clinched the 1996 Olympics tournament by defeating Brazil and Argentina.
Heard several stories about Kanu’s role in that Olympic squad as well as the Nigerian’s hat trick for Arsenal against Chelsea in 1999. All the goals in the later game came in the last ten minutes.
I’ve only witnessed Robin Van Persie score a goal similar to Kanu’s third strike against Chelsea. That was the last gap equalizing goal against Southampton at Highbury on Oct 30 2004.
Just to point it out, Kanu’s strike was even better as it was the winning goal!
Great player in his prime!
However, I beg to idolize the lanky forward for different reasons.
I have had an opportunity to interview a couple of filthy rich European based African players during my relatively short journalism career.
I met Alex Song and Kolo Toure when their respective national teams set up training camps in Nairobi in preparation for AFCON/World Cup Qualifiers.
I found the duo ridiculously arrogant.
Toure asked me ‘to quickly finish up the interview’ while Song ordered me not ‘to ask anything about Arsenal’ even before I’d started the interview.
Another incident that caught my attention was when Didier Drogba shoved Gervinho off journalists after Ivory Coast’s AFCON 2012 Semi final win against Mali, in which the Arsenal forward scored a brilliant solo goal.
The former Chelsea forward then told off the scribes “who had been bashing the Elephants for under-performing, yet need interviews after games.”
But Kanu was different.
I met him after the second leg of the 2010 World Cup Qualifier pitting Nigeria against Kenya in Nairobi.
He is a tall lanky guy but relaxed and down to earth. Seems a mature lad with a nature of friendliness. Might have mellowed after the serious life threatening heart problem but all the same, its a habit that I find rare in the football world.
Drogba, Toure and Song would learn much from Kanu in terms of hospitality.
Besides am told the Portsmouth forward has built several hospitals in Nigeria to offer assistance to heart related problems.
Need I say more?
Sadly nobody has thought of erecting his statue outside the Abuja National stadium.
Long Live African warrior!