Amarachi Kanu Nwankwo (born May 27, 1986, age: 37 years old) is a fitness trainer/expert, interior designer, entrepreneur, and the wife of Kanu Nwankwo, the Nigerian ex-football legend.
Amarachi got married to the football legend in December 2004 in an elaborate wedding. Her husband, Kanu Nwankwo, successfully carved a niche for himself with his football career. As a forward player, he played for the Nigerian national team and other clubs which in turn made him a household name. In addition to his successful career, his marriage to Amarachi, which has spanned 18 years and counting, has also been successful. They have three children so far.
Amarachi Kanu’s Biography Summary
- Full Name: Amarachi Kanu Nwankwo
- Gender: Female
- Date of Birth: May 27, 1986
- Amarachi Kanu’s Age: 37 years old
- Ethnicity: Igbo
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Zodiac Sign: Gemini
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Married
- Amarachi Kanu’s Husband: Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu
- Amarachi’s Children: Sean Kanu, Iyang Kanu and Pinky Kanu
- Amarachi Kanu’s Net worth: Estimated $1.5 Million
- Famous for: being the wife of the Nigerian football legend Kanu Nwankwo
- Amarachi Kanu’s Instagram: @amarakanu
- Twitter: @amarakanu
Amarachi Kanu was Born in Imo State
Amarachi Kanu Nwankwo was born on May 27, 1986, in Owerri, Imo state, Nigeria. The 37 year-old wife of the Nigerian football legend was born into an Igbo family from Imo State. But reports have it that her family moved to Enugu at some point and that she had her secondary education there.
Reports have it that Amarachi Nwankwo furthered her education at the European Business School in London, where she bagged her first degree in architecture. She also climbed the next ladder of her educational career in the same institution and obtained her master’s degree in entrepreneurial management.
Meanwhile, details of who her parents are and what they do for a living are unknown. The number of siblings that she has and what they are up to have also remained a mystery to date.
Amarachi Kanu’s Marriage to Kanu Nwankwo Was Heavily Criticised
Kanu met Amarachi at a beauty contest in Owerri in Imo state. One could say that their meeting was love at first sight as the duo kicked off a relationship after that. In December 2004, they exchanged their marital vows. The wedding ceremony was exquisite, with teammates of Kanu Nwankwo and celebrities beyond the shores of Nigeria in attendance.
At the time Amarachi got married to the football legend, she was 18 years old while her husband was 28 years. As expected, their ten-year age gap didn’t sit well with the public and the duo received a lot of criticism. Also, many people were of the opinion that Amarachi was too young for marriage.
This gave rise to rumours that the parents of the bride forcefully gave her up for marriage because Kanu Nwankwo was a famous and wealthy footballer. On the contrary, Amarachi in her interviews repeatedly asserted that she married for love and had sincere feelings for her husband. This is also evident in the fact that the couple has lived happily with their children for eighteen (18) years now.
Amarachi Kanu Has Her Hands On Various Businesses
After her tertiary education Amarachi Kanu started a career as a fitness trainer and coach. As an entrepreneur, she owns her own fitness line called ‘AK Healthy’. She also has a clothing line which was launched in 2019 and features fitness wears to encourage women’s health and wellness. Meanwhile, reports also have it that she is the CEO of an interior design company.
Having a wealth of experience as a fitness trainer, Amarachi authored a book titled Healthy Living with Amara Kanu. The book launch took place in July 2017 at Emirate stadium London and was well attended by lots of celebrities like Mo Farah, the Olympic gold medalist, and lots of other famous celebrities.
Asides from her physical engagements, she is also a social media influencer. She is quite popular on Instagram and usually posts pictures and videos of her different workout routines. The fitness trainer/expert has over 360,000 followers.
Amarachi and Kanu Nwankwo’s Children
The union between Amarachi and Kanu Nwankwo is blessed with two sons and a daughter. Their first child/son, Sean Chukwudi Kanu, was born on the 14th of February 2005 while the second, also a son named Iyang Onyekachi Kanu, was born on the 3rd of April 2008. The couple welcomed their third/first daughter, Pinky Amarachi Kanu Nwankwo, in February 2012.
As they say “like father, like son” not only taking a liking to his father’s physique, Sean Kanu has taken after his father for his love for football. He played in his school at St. John’s Prep School and also won the English School Football Association Enfield Borough Football tournament for his school.
The young prodigy who currently plays for the U16 Watford team could one day be the next “Papilo”, which is a popular fan name for his father. We do not have much information about young pinky and Iyang Kanu, popularly called Kachi.
The Retired Footballer’s Wife Has Been Involved in Some Controversies
Amarachi Kanu accused her brother in-law, Ogbonna, of not allowing her husband to live in peace with his family. She asserted, that he stole a ticket meant for her son to watch a match with his dad.
Amara was further fueled when Ogbonna posted a ticket to a football game on his Instagram page, with the caption, “Leeds United game today am there live”. The fitness coach didn’t take it laying low. She commented on Ogbonna’s post depicting him as a ‘coward’, ‘liar’, and a ‘borrow pose’.
The Amarachi and Odemwingie Controversy
In December 2020, retired Nigerian professional footballer, Osaze Odemwingie took to Instagram to accuse Amara Kanu of sending him unsolicited messages. He allegedly said the legend’s wife was chasing him, calling her Delilah.
Odemwingie yet struck again as he also reacted to a sign Amara’s son made in an Instagram post questioning his upbringing. The 39-year-old uncovered that he wasn’t comfortable with the sign as it was glorifying Satan.
Kanu Nwankwo urged his fans to neglect the charge laid on his wife. He also said the claim is baseless, and people should ignore it. In a later engagement, the 45-year-old demanded a public apology from Odemwingie.
The Russian-born ex-footballer eventually apologized on his Instagram page and ended the long feud. He explained that his jabs were not directed at the Nwankwo family but rather the influence of American culture on our youths.