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Nigeria: FA Cup - Kanu Takes Centre Stage
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This Day (Lagos)
15 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Tunde Sulaiman
Lagos
One of Britain's top television stations, ITV, will this evening show a documentary on one of Nigeria's most famous football exports - Nwankwo Kanu.
The documentary, which will chronicle the football life of the man who shot to world attention with his exploits at the FIFA World U-17 Championships in Japan 15 years ago, is being specifically aired as part of the station's build up to this weekend's FA Cup final.
The documentary will be shown on ITV 3, which incidentally was the same network that former Eagles skipper Jay Jay Okocha provided commentaries and tips on African teams to the last World Cup finals in Germany.
Portsmouth, the club of the Super Eagles skipper, plays Cardiff in the final of the world's oldest knock out football competition at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Kanu, who was at the London studios of the station last week to provide additional material for the documentary, is considered to be one of the biggest lights for the South Coast outfit having already had the honour of twice lifting the glittering trophy with Arsenal.
However, unlike then when he was not the 'main man' of the occasion because of the array of stars available to the Gunners, many now see the former Ajax player as the leading light of the current side, which last won the trophy over 50 years ago.
Aware of the unique position he has found himself, Kanu insists he is determined to end Portsmouth's long wait for a trophy by firing the Fratton Park outfit past the lower division side.
But despite this target, he is quick to point out that they would not be underrating the Welsh team.
"Yes I would love to help the team (Pompey) to victory because it will be a very good way of giving the fans something to celebrate after such a long time. But that doesn't mean that we'll be underrating our opponents.
"The fact that they made it to the final means they deserve to be there after all so many teams started the race. This means that they can't be underrated, especially in this year's competition in which so many shocks have happened."
Kanu was frank enough to admit that even Portsmouth was a beneficiary when they surprised everyone by beating Premiership champions Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford.
"Yes no one gave us a chance against them (United) but that is football we had belief and in the end we were the ones to progress. Now we have to keep our heads and not get carried away until we get the job done," said the one time Inter Milan star.
Aware of the importance of the gangling striker to Portsmouth's glory hunt, Pompey manager Harry Redknapp has shepherd his main asset in the dying stages of the Premiership campaign giving Kanu as much rest as possible in order to keep him fresh for the Wembley showdown.
Kanu is likely to be supported by another Nigerian international, John Utaka, in Saturday big game.Although the former Rennes of France star has been battling injuries and a dip in form in recent weeks, word out of Fratton Park is that he is likely to play a part in Portsmouth's biggest game of the season.
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Victory for the Premiership team at Wembley will give them their first ever ticket to Europe in the UEFA Cup.
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