Uchenna Grace Kanu ( ;born 20 June 1997) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga Femenil club Cruz Azul and Nigeria national team.
Career
On 3 December 2021, Kanu was announced at Tigres UANL. In joining Tigres, she became the first African player to play in the Liga MX Femenil.
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.
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.
Kanu was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.
Kanu was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
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.
Career statistics International goals No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 9 May 2019 Stade Robert Champroux de Macory, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 1-0 5-1 2019 WAFU Zone B Women's Cup 2 4-1 3 5-1 4 11 May 2019 Stade Robert Champroux de Macory, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 2-0 15-0 2019 WAFU Zone B Women's Cup 5 3-0 6 6-0 7 7-0 8 11-0 9 14 May 2019 Stade Robert Champroux de Macory, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 2-0 2-0 2019 WAFU Zone B Women's Cup 10 18 May 2019 Stade Robert Champroux de Macory, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 1-1 1-1 2019 WAFU Zone B Women's Cup 11 23 February 2021 Arslan Zeki Demirci Sports Complex, Ilıca, Turkey 5–0 9–0 2021 Turkish Women's Cup 12 20 October 2021 Onikan Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria 1–0 2–0 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification 13 2–0 14 10 July 2022 Stade Moulay Hassan, Rabat, Morocco 3–0 4–0 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations 15 4–0 16 6 September 2022 Audi Field, Washington D.C., United States 1–1 1–2 Friendly 17 27 July 2023 Lang Park, Brisbane, Australia 1–1 3–2 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup 18 31 October 2023 MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, Nigeria 1–0 4–0 2024 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament 19 30 November 2023 MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, Nigeria 1-0 5-0 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification 20 3-0 21 28 July 2026 Al Medina Stadium, Rabat, Morocco 2–3 2−3 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations 22 5 August 2026 Rabat Olympic Stadium, Rabat, Morocco 3–1 6−2
References
External links
Uchenna Kanu at Racing Louisville FC