Nwankwo Kanu got a dose of ‘Russian hospitality’ when his 9,000 pounds(N4million) was stolen and recovered same day by the police. The former Super Eagles captain had travelled to Russia to play a World Cup promotional game between FIFA Legends and the Russia Legends at Kaliningrad ahead the World Cup, which began Thursday.
The game was organised to open the World Cup Park in the city and as a legend, the former Arsenal hotshot wouldn’t let the opportunity pass him by as he joined other football greats for the event.
The former African Footballer of the Year must have thought that he would also use the chance to re-establish links with old teammates and also reunite with stars he played against during his active days.
The occasion would also allow him to momentarily share the spotlight with the present stars who will start vying for honours at the Mundial on Thursday, the former Nigerian international must have thought.
Also, the lure to show flashes of what he did in his hey days must have been a big pull for the former Ajax striker who must have also felt that the occasion would allow him sell the current Super Eagles team to the Russian fans, who will be eager to know what the former African champions have up their sleeves.
He never had the inkling that he could be robbed while on a FIFA assignment to promote the biggest sporting event in the world.
So, when he discovered that his money had been stolen, it came to him as a rude shock and he had no other option than to report the matter to the police as he was reluctant to go public with his predicament. The theft was reported by the Russia News Agency, TASS, which revealed that Kanu on arrival at his hotel discovered that the money had disappeared from his baggage. The Russian police immediately swung into action to ensure that Putin’s Russia wasn’t brought to disrepute. Fortunately for Kanu, the money was recovered in record time. It was reported that the police took two luggage handlers into custody, confirming later that the money had been recovered and handed back to the former Eagles captain.
An elated Kanu confirmed that he has indeed received the cash back and thanked the security agencies in Russia for their quick response. To crown his joy, the FIFA Legends won 6-4 with Niko Kranjcar, Nuno Gomes and Cafu each scoring a brace. A close associate of the former Arsenal star, Shina Philips, also confirmed that Kanu had indeed recovered his stolen money. “Yes, it is true, the money has been returned to him; he called me from London.
He has left Russia since he completed his original assignment there,” Philips stated. While Kanu may have operated within the stipulated regulation in Nigeria by travelling with the money; it is, however, a surprise to watchers that the respected international star, who is expected to have a functional domiciliary account, will carry physical cash instead of making use of other monetary instruments in Russia or in any other part of Europe. The swiftness with which the Russian Police handled the issue ensuring that positive result was achieved in less than 48 hours is no doubt worthy of commendation and an indication that the Russian authorities are indeed set for the World Cup.
From the incident, what is clear is that football fans, most of are already on ground, should be security- conscious and keep their personal belongingsvsafe. Russia is, however, not an isolated case, as fans have lost their personal effects while on trips abroad to support their darling teams. The sad occurrence did not dampen Kanu’s spirit as he had hinted that he would be back in Russia to watch the Eagles take on Croatia today in their opening match, incidentally in the same city where the former Ajax star ‘lost and found’ his money