Nigeria: Kanu

Kanu is the man to drag Nigerian football away from the self-destruct button threatening to detonate their chances of success in this summer’s Far East football extravaganza.

If he does overcome the internal bickering that is undermining the African ace’s dreams of glory in the 2002 World Cup, the country where he earns his wages should be wary.

The Arsenal striker, still only 25, is one of the Super Eagles’ biggest stars and will be out to get one over on his Highbury team-mates David Seaman, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole when the quartet come face-to-face in Osaka on June 12.

And Kanu’s experience and maturity gained from his time with the Gunners, as well as Ajax and Inter Milan before that will be essential to Nigeria if the farcical events of February are to be overcome.

Shaibu Amodu, who was appointed as Jo Bonfrere’s successor as Super Eagles coach last April, promptly revitalised the national team and steered them to World Cup qualification.

But his side’s average showing in the African Nations Cup in Mali, where Nigeria were knocked out by World Cup rivals Senegal, sparked Amodu’s sacking.

So, just 101 days before the World Cup, 62-year-old technical director Festus Onigbinde was appointed manager amid reports of a three-way feud among players, management and the Nigerian Football Association over money and influence on the national team.

Kanu, the gifted forward who captained his country to their 1996 Olympics victory, is the man to shunt the side back into shape and re-focus players and coach’s minds on the task in hand ﷓ repeating their successes of USA ’94 and France ’98.

Nigeria won their group at both tournaments, but that would be an astonishing feat to achieve this summer, ahead of ‘Group of Death’ rivals England, Argentina and Sweden.

However, the Super Eagles certainly do have potential and Kanu represents that. He is a towering forward, 6ft 5in tall, but possesses surprisingly silky skills for such a giant player, as well as a venomous shot.

He has performed for his nation throughout the youth teams, starting at Under-17 level and continuing through the Under-23s side, which triumphed in Atlanta six years ago, and onto the senior set-up, where he has cemented his position as the Africans’ talisman striker.

On the club front, Dutch giants Ajax snapped up Kanu in 1993 and two years later, the 19-year-old blasted 13 league goals and attracted the attention of Italian big guns Inter.

His time at the San Siro was overshadowed by a life-threatening heart problem but he showed tremendous determination and battled back to fitness before Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger splashed out €7.1million to bring him to north London in 1998.

A successful first full season with the Gunners, featuring a dozen Premiership goals, followed but he is now one of half-a-dozen forwards battling for a place in the first XI.

For Nigeria, despite the upheaval of Amodu’s exit and Onigbinde’s arrival, Kanu should start every game.

His nation will look to him for inspiration ﷓ and crucial inside knowledge ahead of the clash with Sven-Goran Eriksson’s men.