Independent.co.uk
Kanu is crowned king of Portsmouth by African contingent
By Jason Burt at Wembley
Monday, 19 May 2008


After his golden goal to win the FA Cup for Portsmouth, there was Nwankwo Kanu's silver tongue. "He knows what I can do and says, 'King, go out and do your stuff, do your magic, you're the best'," the striker claimed when asked what manager Harry Redknapp's pre-match words of encouragement had been.


'King' is the nickname Kanu has earned from his Portsmouth team-mates. It started with the African players – John Utaka and Sulley Muntari (who bought Kanu a baseball cap after scoring the winning goal in the semi-final with 'King' inscribed on it which he wore after the final whistle on Saturday) but has spread throughout the squad.

Now the King is hoping to capitalise on his moment. Having earned himself a one-year contract extension, automatically triggered as he has played more than 25 times for Portsmouth this season, the striker who turns 32 in August, wants to turn that into a three-year deal and end his career at Fratton Park.

It is unlikely he will be granted such a contract, which may spark interest from other clubs, but no-one can blame him for his opportunism – the same opportunism he showed in making amends for earlier striking a post by hooking the ball into the net after a blunder by Cardiff goalkeeper Peter Enckelman.

The goal gained Portsmouth the trophy and later Redknapp confirmed the club's growing importance in Africa – Kanu is one of five players from the continent on their books – with plans for a pre-season friendly in Lagos against Manchester United.

"We're going to Nigeria in pre-season," Redknapp said. "I haven't told the lads that yet, by the way. They might have lost the FA Cup if I'd told them that. That's a pleasant surprise for them all. We're going to play Man United over there. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us. So we will play them before the Charity Shield [sic]."

With United basing themselves in South Africa for pre-season – they play three games between 19 and 26 July – the Portsmouth match has been pencilled in to take place in a refurbished stadium soon after. However given that the two clubs will then meet again in the Community Shield on 10 August the organisers are nervous that the fixture will now be pulled.

That would be a shame for Kanu, in particular. He is feted in his homeland and across Africa and would be able to use the game to help publicise his Kanu Football Foundation which he is launching – as revealed by The Independent last week – to help young African footballers. Kanu already has a heart foundation, established after his own heart problems, which pays for life-saving operations for children and a charity match to raise funds for that organisation will take place at Fratton Park today. One of those due to feature is John Mensah, the Ghanaian defender who plays for Rennes and who is one of Redknapp's transfer targets.

Winning the FA Cup for a third time – Kanu lifted it twice with Arsenal, although he played a mere nine minutes as a substitute for Thierry Henry against Chelsea in 2002 and never got off the bench against Southampton a year later – will help bolster his charity aims as well as his career.

"A lot of people always ask questions about me, but I keep coming out with the answers," Kanu, who may not have played had Jermain Defoe not been Cup-tied, said in reference to those who felt his career was at an end when he left Arsenal in 2004 and struggled for two seasons at West Bromwich Albion before joining Portsmouth. "This is talent," he said. "I have to work hard, but the talent is there. I didn't disappoint myself, I didn't disappoint anybody.

"It means a lot as it's been more than 50 years since Portsmouth won a trophy, which is a long time. For us to win the FA Cup is a great achievement. When you play at Portsmouth nobody expects you to win a trophy. In the semi-final I don't know what happened, but I was the hero and it's happened again."

The goal, Kanu said, was a relief – having been told by his three-year-old son, Sean, that he would score. "When I scored the goal you could see I was dancing because I remembered what he said to me," Kanu said.


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/kanu-is-crowned-king-of-portsmouth-by-african-contingent-830619.html?service=Print

The goal gained Portsmouth the trophy and later Redknapp confirmed the club's growing importance in Africa – Kanu is one of five players from the continent on their books – with plans for a pre-season friendly in Lagos against Manchester United.

"We're going to Nigeria in pre-season," Redknapp said. "I haven't told the lads that yet, by the way. They might have lost the FA Cup if I'd told them that. That's a pleasant surprise for them all. We're going to play Man United over there. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us. So we will play them before the Charity Shield [sic]."

With United basing themselves in South Africa for pre-season – they play three games between 19 and 26 July – the Portsmouth match has been pencilled in to take place in a refurbished stadium soon after. However given that the two clubs will then meet again in the Community Shield on 10 August the organisers are nervous that the fixture will now be pulled.

That would be a shame for Kanu, in particular. He is feted in his homeland and across Africa and would be able to use the game to help publicise his Kanu Football Foundation which he is launching – as revealed by The Independent last week – to help young African footballers. Kanu already has a heart foundation, established after his own heart problems, which pays for life-saving operations for children and a charity match to raise funds for that organisation will take place at Fratton Park today. One of those due to feature is John Mensah, the Ghanaian defender who plays for Rennes and who is one of Redknapp's transfer targets.

My days, why Lagos What's wrong with Abuja?
Is anything wrong with a newly built 60,000 capacity stadium?
And why not Arsenal
Afterall, we have the largest fanbase over there

eldee
They are not talking of fan base now, they want to play the champs.
I beleive lagos is still the place as far as Nigeria is concerned. peeps can come from east, west and north
but if its played in ABJ many will not go because of accomodation factor.

The calabar township stadium is good to host a match as this considering the tourism advantages of the state.
Long live King Kanu

presido1:

eldee
They are not talking of fan base now, they want to play the champs.
I beleive lagos is still the place as far as Nigeria is concerned. peeps can come from east, west and north
but if its played in ABJ many will not go because of accomodation factor.

Yeah right, abeg spare me the stories
I heard about this fixture long before Man Utd became champs
It was already on British tabloids before the '39th game' thingy came up
Arsenal was on top that time, so what're u on?

How will you choose Lagos over Abuja for a game this big?
And the best excuse you could give is accomodation?
Abuja is surely the best as far as accomodation is concerned. . .
For goodness sake, it's the second most beautiful city in Africa.

The stadium is ranked among the top twenty football stadia in terms of capacity in the whole world
NSL is crap man, Abuja is world class. . .


Hope you guys really know what u're doing?
By the way, the last time sumn big was hosted in Lagos was 2000, ACN.
Since then Abuja has hosted Three US President visits, the Queen, the Commonwealth meeting, the All-African Games and many other big events. . .
It has the best hotels in Nigeria, housing is definitely not a problem.

Are you sure some 419ers did not mugu Harry Redknapp into this?
My prayer is that Fergie doesn't get beaten up when fans rush unto the pitch in anger when the refree takes Man Utd's side as usual

@ Eldee,

U are not serious!!!

I doubt the fixture would hold anyways. . . .
Man Utd will be slugging it out with Pompey in the community shield in August which automatically rules out such fixtures.
Expect Rooney and Carrick to be playing Enyimba, 3SC and Wikki Tourists in Abuja. . . I just hope they dont break Saha's legs.

Xerxes.:

@ Eldee,

You are not serious!!!

I doubt the fixture would hold anyways. . . .
Man Utd will be slugging it out with Pompey in the community shield in August which automatically rules out such fixtures.
Expect Rooney and Carrick to be playing Enyimba, 3SC and Wikki Tourists in Abuja. . . I just hope they don't break Saha's legs.

Man Utd vs Eyimba, u kidding me
How will Christiano train for the diving?
Nah, the stone alone will cause enough trouble for him

And how will they explain to the fans that the refree is legally obligated to call a penalty for every Divino fall, even if the wind blows him to the ground?
Manynne, it's gon be hard

I'm suspecting that Carlos dude is tired of waiting to get the job, he's taking matters into the agberos' hands

very funny

@eldee
Of course they will na why them dey call them Ojorochester United

Look at these Gaynners calling us cheatz. . . .

Okay, i geddit now. . . . . . . United cheated to accrue 87 points this season!!!!
United's 87 points is the highest in all the top leagues in Europe. Madrid, Inter, Bayern Munich and Lyon all fell short.
Lets even assume United cheated to win the EPL. . . . . . Are y'all saying they bribed the referee again to reach the finals of the UCL?
This is what jealousy, envy and joblessness do to A-40 and Eldee. . . .

@Xerxes
Of course Ojorochester United is your name all your games against the other members of the big 4 had one or two decisions going in your favor at OT.How about Rio Ferdinand's ball handling against Wigan down to Scholes tackle that should have been red-carded if not that Chelsea would be the first team in London to win the UCL tomorrow i would have been rooting for them all the way.I am calling you guys cheats because thats what you are

now why would i post my reply here when i was the one intially started the thread!

bad belly wetin una fit do me? ha

is the game in Lagos or Abuja?

abuja ur chance to see those aso monkies live hmm!

It's in Tinapa in Calabar not Abuja. And it's going to be a 4 team invitational tournament which includes Man Utd, Portsmouth, Super Eagles and a Nigerian club side to be voted for by the Nigerian people. It's holding at the end of July.

It's Calabar I heard too.

its a 4 team tournament with manutd, porstmouth and 2 carefully selected nfa premier league teams!

manutd will play only play portsmouth! thats the agreement! and the game will be played in abuja! the other game between the nigerian teams will be played in calabar! then a final in abuja!