Tribute To A True Legend, Kanu!

Bidding his final goodbye to the game that had brought him fame and fortune, he fought back tears in a scene that could best be described as completely emotional. Kanu Nwankwo finally hung his magical boots at the Teslim Balogun stadium on the 11th day of June 2011. As he dazzled with the ball for the penultimate time, fans chorused his name and wished he had the legs to spare some more years for the Super Eagles. However, like everything that had a beginning, Papilo's glittering footballing career was bound to come to an end. Players from several nationalities converged to honour the lanky one. Kanu's legacy might have began on the football field, but it will surely not end there. A better part of papilo's fortune, he gave back to charity. Today, he has several foundations and companies that are solving some of societal problems. Despite attaining enviable heights in football, Kanu's humility was a beauty to behold. While his contemporaries lost their heads, Kanu kept his, being the ideal role model for not just his generation, but also for posterity. Little will doubt that Kanu was not a special player. His vision on the field was made of eagle stuff, his movement was unrivalled, his touch was class and his passing was simply clinical. He remains the greatest Nigerian player to have won the most laurels. And to think that there was a time when doctors said he was never going to play football anymore! His career is a tale of doggedness, a victory of will over limits, a triumph for determination over odds, a study of excellence in the face of daunting trails. It is a career that begets inspiration. In the words of Larry King, Take a Bow, Good Son!