Daniel Kanu (footballer)
Sierra Leonean footballer (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daniel Malanga Kanu (born 14 November 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship side Charlton Athletic. Born in England, he plays for the Sierra Leone national team.[3]
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Daniel Kanu in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Malanga Kanu[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 14 November 2004[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Lambeth, England | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Charlton Athletic | ||
| Number | 29 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2014–2022 | Charlton Athletic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | Charlton Athletic | 59 | (7) |
| 2023 | → Southend United (loan) | 6 | (4) |
| 2025–2026 | → Walsall (loan) | 40 | (15) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Sierra Leone | 6 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:10, 2 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:10, 30 March 2026 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Charlton Athletic
Kanu joined Charlton Athletic at under-11 level. On 2 February 2022, after scoring 31 goals in all competitions across Charlton's youth sides, Kanu signed his first professional contract with the club.[4][5][6] Ten days later, on 12 February 2022, Kanu made his debut for Charlton, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute in a 2–1 League One loss against Wigan Athletic.[7]
On 22 November 2022, Kanu scored his first professional goal for the club in a 3–2 defeat away at Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Trophy.[8]
On 7 February 2024, it was announced that Kanu had signed a new long-term contract with the club.[9]
Southend United (loan)
On 6 October 2023, Kanu joined Southend United on an initial 28-day loan.[10] On his first start, Kanu scored his first goals for the club, netting four times in a 5–0 victory over Solihull Moors.[11]
On 2 December 2023, Kanu was recalled early by Charlton Athletic from his loan.[12]
Walsall (loan)
On 22 August 2025, January joined Walsall on a season-long loan.[13][14] Following a strong start to his time with the club, he was named EFL Young Player of the Month for September 2025.[15] He was named League Two Young Player of the Season at the 2026 EFL Awards.[16] At the club's End of Season awards, he was named Young Player of the Season, Players' Player of the Season and Player of the Season, in addition to finishing top scorer.[17]
International career
Born in England, Kanu is of Sierra Leonean descent. He was called up to the Sierra Leone national team for a set of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in November 2023.[18]
Kanu made his international debut for Sierra Leone on 19 November 2023, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 defeat to the Egypt national team.[19]
Personal life
Born in Lambeth, Kanu moved with his family to Dartford when he was two years old. He attended Dartford Grammar School, where he represented his school on numerous occasions as part of the athletics team. He specialised in long-distance running and set a handful of school records.[20]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 2 May 2026
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Charlton Athletic | 2021–22[21] | League One | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022–23[22] | League One | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 1 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2023–24[23] | League One | 30 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2[a] | 0 | 34 | 7 | |
| 2024–25[24] | League One | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| 2025–26[25] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 59 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 71 | 9 | ||
| Southend United (loan) | 2023–24[26] | National League | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | |
| Walsall (loan) | 2025–26[25] | League Two | 40 | 15 | 3 | 2 | — | 1[a] | 1 | 44 | 18 | |
| Career total | 105 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 121 | 31 | ||
- Appearances in EFL Trophy
International
- As of match played 30 March 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Leone | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 6 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Sierra Leone's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kanu goal.[27]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 March 2026 | Sumgayit City Stadium, Sumgait, Azerbaijan |  Azerbaijan | 1–0 | 1–1 (8–9 p) | 2026 FIFA Series |