Top 30 African footballers since 1995: No 10, Nwankwo Kanu | OneFootball

Nwankwo Kanu is placed 10th in a ranking of the top 30 African footballers since 1995, the third instalment of a series.

According to L'Équipe, the project marks 30 years since George Weah’s Ballon d’Or, with a top 10 composed of Champions League winners. National-team honours informed close calls, with the Africa Cup of Nations still pending.

Three decades on, no African has succeeded Weah. Sadio Mané came closest but ran into the 2022 version of Karim Benzema. Achraf Hakimi’s candidacy coincided with Paris Saint-Germain campaigning for Ousmane Dembélé.

Kanu had lifted the Champions League with Ajax at 19, then reached an Olympic peak at 20. He dragged Nigeria past Brazil in the Atlanta semi-final, equalising on 90 minutes and scoring the extra-time winner in a 4-3.

Soon after joining Inter, a medical detected a serious heart defect. He underwent open-heart surgery, disappeared for months, then returned. The 1.97m forward remained languid in style yet decisive on big nights.

At Arsenal he became an unpredictable weapon, often from the bench, and finished as part of the 2004 Invincibles. His club haul includes the 1998 UEFA Cup and two Premier League titles.

Internationally he captained Nigeria’s 1996 Olympic champions, reached the 2000 AFCON final and made four AFCON podiums. He played three World Cups, reaching the last 16 in 1998, and was African Footballer of the Year in 1996 and 1999.

Capped 167 times with 28 goals, he later founded a charity for children with heart conditions. He also placed 11th in the 1996 Ballon d’Or and 23rd in 1999.

Source: L'Équipe