Uchenna Kanu
Nigerian footballer (born 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Uchenna Grace Kanu (ⓘ ;born 20 June 1997) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX Femenil club Cruz Azul and Nigeria national team.
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Kanu with Racing Louisville in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Uchenna Grace Kanu | ||
| Date of birth | 20 June 1997[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Abia, Nigeria[2] | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Forward[1] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cruz Azul | ||
| Number | 29 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2019 | Southeastern Fire | 78 | (157) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | Pensacola FC | 12 | (17) |
| 2020 | Sevilla | 4 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Linköpings FC | 42 | (22) |
| 2022–2023 | UANL | 30 | (20) |
| 2023–2025 | Racing Louisville | 35 | (6) |
| 2026– | Cruz Azul | 4 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014 | Nigeria U17 | 4 | (3) |
| 2014 | Nigeria U20 | 3 | (0) |
| 2019– | Nigeria | 35 | (20) |
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 1 February 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 5 July 2025 | |||
Career
On 3 December 2021, Kanu was announced at Tigres UANL.[4] In joining Tigres, she became the first African player to play in the Liga MX Femenil.[5]
On 2 February 2023, Kanu was announced at Racing Louisville on a two-year contract with an option for an extra year. In exchange for Kanu, Racing Louisville used allocation money to pay a transfer free, and loaned Riley Parker to Tigres UANL.[6]
International career
Kanu represented Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. She made her senior debut on 8 April 2019 in a 1–2 friendly loss to Canada.
On 24 May 2019, Kanu was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.[7]
Kanu was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.[8]
On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.[9]
Kanu was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[10]
Personal life
In her earlier years, at the age of 26, she shared her journey, saying, "I used to sell oranges and water on the streets of Aba. My brother and I would hawk sodas like Coca-Cola, Fanta, and Pepsi in the market. We'd cross paths, share a laugh, and then go our separate ways." Now, Kanu excels as a forward for NWSL club Racing Louisville in the United States, having risen to prominence through her representation of Nigeria in various FIFA Women's World Cups.[11][12]
