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Uchenna Kanu: Nigeria star joins NWSL’s Racing Louisville from Tigres for record fee
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
United States of America (USA) National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) outfit, Racing Louisville has confirmed the signing of Nigeria forward Uchenna Kanu from Mexican Liga MX Femenil side, UANL Tigres for a record fee.
The club confirmed the acquisition on Thursday while making a pair of moves this week as the global transfer window closed, acquiring star Nigerian striker via transfer and loaning out rookie forward Riley Parker.
Kanu signed a two-year contract with Racing with an extension option for the 2025 season. As part of the deal, Racing also loaned rookie forward Riley Parker to Tigres through June after signing her to a one-year contract with an option for 2024.
The 25-year-old Super Falcons star moves to the US on the back of a productive campaign at Tigres, where she scored 20 goals in 30 appearances for the Monterey-based club, helping her team claim Liga MX Femenil’s Torneo Apertura trophy last November.
She arrived Louisville as one of several exciting offseason additions to the American side joining the likes of Abby Erceg, Carson Pickett, Paige Monaghan, Ary Borges, Elli Pikkuyamsa, and South African star Thembi Kgatlana.
Before her time in Mexico, Kanu impressed in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan, tallying 22 goals in 42 matches over two years with Linköpings FC. She also spent part of the pandemic-impacted 2019-20 season in Spain with Sevilla FC, making six appearances for the Spanish club.
Kanu is no stranger to the United States soccer sphere as signing with Louisville marks a return to the country where she broke records at the College level scoring 157 goals and 53 assists for Southeastern University, an NAIA program in Florida. She was the NAIA Player of the Year in 2017, setting the NAIA record for goals in a single season with 57.
At the international level, Kanu has 10 goals in 12 appearances for Nigeria, including a sensational goal against the United States (U.S.) Women’s National Team (USWNT) in a friendly last September and two more at the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Kanu represented Nigeria at the 2019 World Cup in France, starting the Round of 16 match against Germany after coming on as a substitute in the Super Falcons’ three group-stage games, and previously played in the U-17 and U-20 World Cups as well.
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