Nwankwo Kanu (Director)

Kanu began his football career with Federal Works F.C Owerri, Nigeria and moved to Iwuayanwu Nationale Owerri. He transferred to Ajax Amsterdam in 1993 after helping Nigeria win the U17 World Cup in Japan 1993.

Kanu captained the Nigerian team to the Soccer Gold medal in Olympics 1996 at Atlanta Georgia, USA scoring twice in the 4-3 semifinals victory over Brazil. He won UEFA Champions League 1996 with Ajax as well as the UEFA Cup with Inter Milan and also won 3 Dutch championships with Ajax in 1994, 1995, and 1996.
Upon his transfer to Inter Milan, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart problem in the summer of 1996 and underwent a successful heart surgery at the Cleveland Hospital in USA in 1997. He returned to International Football in 1998 World Cup and is one of the very few African Footballers to have won the African Footballer of the Year award twice (1996 and 1998).

He won the Premiership Cup and FA Cup Medals during his stay with Arsenal F.C. England, where he moved to from Inter Milan and in 2004 he moved from Arsenal to West Bromwich Albion FC and later to his current club Portsmouth FC. By the end of the 2007-2008 Football season, Kanu would have attained another landmark of playing 10 years in the English Premiership.

He is the founder of the Kanu Heart Foundation with the sole aim of helping patients with heart defects. It has conducted open heart surgery for over 254 patients and influenced his appointment as a UNICEF Ambassador for Children in Nigeria.
His involvement in business spans across hospitality and property with major shareholding in The Hardley Suites, Replica Digital Photo Centre, Fortune Star Properties Limited, and Xcepshon Limited (Interiors & Furniture).