London , England ( CNN ) -- With a glittering career on the pitch , Nwankwo Kanu is Nigeria 's most iconic footballer . Born in Owerri , the capital of the southern state of Imo , Nigeria ; by the age of 17 Kanu was already far from home , playing for Ajax in the Netherlands . Africa 's most decorated footballer has had a career spanning almost two decades . In this time he has captained the Nigerian side to win Olympic gold in 1996 , won the European Cup with Ajax , the English Premier League title and FA Cup with Arsenal and scored the winning goal for Portsmouth in the 2008 FA Cup Final . All this despite undergoing major heart surgery in 1996 after doctors spotted a faulty heart-valve . He has since established the successful Kanu Heart Foundation as well as the The Kanu Football Foundation to help young African footballers . Now near the end of his career , Kanu talks exclusively to CNN about what he loves most about the country he represents on and off the pitch . CNN : What does Nigeria mean to you ? Nwankwo Kanu : Nigeria is where I come from , it 's part of my life and part of being who I am . I grew up in Nigeria and I think for me it means a lot . It means everything to me . The country has been blessed by God . It 's a country where the population is big and they are hard working people and religious people . CNN : Where are your favorite places to go in Nigeria ? NK : I love to go to the East , but also my town of Owerri . It 's a very small town , a very quiet area , but the people they love enjoyment and it 's all about life . They like to have fun and enjoy themselves to the fullest , but when it 's late they go to sleep -- no violence , no negative things , it 's all about positives . CNN : What do you miss most about Nigeria ? NK : The people and the behavior of the people . You miss their way of life and the way they live , the enjoyment and their hardworking nature . I also miss the food -- the spicy food . The dish I miss the most is edikang ikong , which is like a vegetable soup -- very , very good for the system . CNN : How has Nigeria changed in your lifetime ? NK : I think that every developing country keeps on developing . For a lot of years now , Nigeria has been growing and developing in terms of infrastructure and communications and it keeps growing . I think people are putting their heads together and trying to make things get better in the country . For me , it 's getting better year by year . CNN : What does the future hold for Nigeria ? NK : The sky is the limit . The future is bright . We have 150 million people and the way we are developing , I think the future is there for the younger generation who are coming up . The opportunities are there and the future is bright . People are always afraid of Nigeria and I do n't think that idea of Nigeria is right or true . People can go and enjoy Nigeria , it 's a very good and lovely country and we have good people with very good hearts who can welcome you .
Nigerian born striker Nwankwo Kanu is Africa 's most decorated footballer . He has played for Ajax , Inter Milan , Arsenal and is captain of Nigeria 's Super Eagles . Score: 6