BY IKENWA ASHIBUOGWU NNABUOGOR
Nwankwo Kanu’s amazing skills not only limited himself to his attacking and central midfield roles where he mastered the art of defence-splitting passes in the beautiful game but also on his way to goal.
As languid as he was during his playing days, doing those breathtaking tricks came with so much ease and anticipation for the fans stood Kanu out for a special praise.
His fans grew with each passing day, from his days at the defunct Progress Bank FC, Owerri, to his hanging his boots at English side Portsmouth, Kanu Papilo Nwankwo was simply amazing.
Golden Eaglets’ Japan’93 World Cup qualification was stamped with a “government seal” when coach Fanny Amun drafted him into the squad for the final qualifying round. Kanu tricked his way to goals both home and away as Golden Eaglets winged it to Japan in style and grabbed their second World Cup title.
Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam won the race to grab him amongst other clubs immediately after the World Cup and the multiple Dutch Eredivisie champions began preparations ahead of his biopic on the weekly documented Johan Cruijff Arena showing.
Kanu starred in the star-studded Ajax team trusting his brilliant skills to put his game just right up there in the Ajax’s front burner. His goals didn’t come easy; compatriot Finidi George on the right wing and Dutch international Frank Overmars, on the left wing, were very handy.
Papilo received numerous gifts from the duo, including Finnish star Jari Litmanen in the attack but the trickery behind most of the goals showed he would soon be bigger than Dutch football soon.
In one such great trick expeditions, Papilo had received a pass from Finish at the edge of the opponent’s vital area, waltzed through with the ball firmly fixed on his right foot, sold a great dummy to the on rushing defender and slided a very close one in at the goalkeeper’s left. Sheer class!
Professor Arsene Wenger re-directed Papilo’s foot into England after his health-challenged brief stay at Inter Milan and it appeared Wenger knew Kanu inside and out and the bags of trickery that remained unsold in his stock. London Stock Exchange as well as London’s Over The Counter (OTC) were all willing Kanu’s “business partners”
Kanu’s Arsenal Odyssey has been crying for an author and a film producer to provide the hard book cover copy and a screenplay copy for his great London sojourn.
His Gunners’ stories painted in red and white traditional colours have been told severally but those wonders remain evergreen.
Papilo had the longest spell in his career at Arsenal and the most eventual mainly in terms of goals and assists which were sensational as well as tongue wagging.
It would not be out of place if he opened a goal trickery academy in London when he hung up his boots to teach players how to put them away in the most audacious manner and make a mill of goalkeepers.
Kanu’s goal feast at Arsenal attracted millions of eyes as well as admirers as they were exquisite and most times, squeezed out of the rocks.
1, 2, 3, 4….. his list goes on and on and it was as good as they came in the league, league Cup, FA Cup as well as the Champions League.
Fans have been at sea picking their best among his great goals born out of trickery – from the biggest fool made of Cameroon super star goalkeeper Jacques Songo’O at Deportivo La Coruna goal in the Champions League to his dangerously close dribbling of Chelsea keeper Ed de Goey in his famous hat trick in the 3-2 win, Kanu’s tricks need to be studied.
First, the Sango’O’ unforgettable, unfortunate major career coup de grace – Kanu had latched on to a loose ball, a false La Coruna clearance and raced on to goal, Sango’O rushed out with full confidence but was seriously oblivious of who Kanu actually was. Papilo had Sango’O in stitches by the time the ball was in the net, the Cameroon keeper remained on the turf as Kanu’s bad dummy reduced Sango’O to an academy keeper while the superstar Arsenal star wheeled away in ecstasy. Sheer class!
Arsenal were ungraciously 2-0 down at Stamford Bridge and were looking good for a Gunner battering but had Kanu for special praises at the end of 90 minutes.
The professor had thrown in his protege he had convinced to switch from one fashion city to another and by the time Kanu dirted himself in the mud, the rescue and the winning plan had been perfectly executed. But one of the three strikes stood out and belonged to the archives. The slippery pitch had thankfully stopped the ball from slipping into the Chelsea’s goal kick as Kanu reached the spot before the de Goey and with just few inches begging for contact to stray into a goal kick, Kanu strapping the ball to his feet made the biggest fool of the history of the English football of Goey with unprecedented close dribbling and curling the ball into the roof of the net. Another sheer class!
Then enter Luke Shaw of Tottenham Hotspur – Shaw admiring Kanu’s number 25 on his shirt as the Gunner backed him with the ball he had invited from Robert Pires, he unimaginably scooped the ball over bewildered Shaw and finished off with a plump. Sweet one!
Defecting to Portsmouth was just a matter of time, he had nothing to prove again at North London and by the time he left the ancient South Coast, another history, another bag of tricks had been left for posterity.
Kanu would have a Nigerian and a Super Eagle, John Utaka, for company, a competent foot from French football and together both footies made the coastal city pop champagne again.
The FA Cup final in 2008 was solely Kanu/Utaka’s as the two Nigerians were the scorer and the assist provider. Utaka had danced his way from the right wing, escaped from his Cardiff City marker and flighted a low one, Kanu struck first and stylishly converted a rebound leaving goalkeeper Peter Enckelman stranded. That was enough! Pompey carted away the 127th FA Cup to light up the city that refused to sleep for several days after.
What about the 40-metre run enroute to his cool finish for Pompey?
Kanu had his trick well executed there! Not particularly blessed with pace but he took his baggage along and all through to a sweet goal finish with so much panache and ease.
From trot to full pace, Kanu had it all well planned and the baggage he carried along couldn’t stop him and escorted him through and he ended it with his usual finish. A beautiful, audacious one!
This is how the story ended for the great one whose trickery en route to the goal is as great as it’s delivery.
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