Former Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Association, Tunde Disu, has saluted former Super Eagles captain, Nwankwo Kanu for his contribution to Nigerian football.

The Nigerian legend, one of the leading players of his generation is to be honoured with a testimonial game on Saturday, in his final swansong at the international level.

Top football stars across the globe have already converged in Lagos to celebrate the Portsmouth star, who is already in the history books as Nigeria’s most decorated player.

Although Kanu still has a contract at the championship side, he has already been appointed an Ambassador for Nigeria’s Super Eagles and is one of the players representing The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef).

Disu was technical director at the NFA when Kanu played for Nigeria’s Under-17 team, the Golden Eaglets at the Japan’93 Fifa Under-17 World Cup.

“Kanu is disciplined, which explains why he’s the longest serving player amongst his teammates, who represented Nigeria at the Japan’93 Under-17 World Cup. Kanu has since developed into a superstar.

“I’m proud of him and he’s a legend that the younger players should emulate. He remains a role model, not only in the Super Eagles, but in Nigerian football” Disu said to SuperSport.com.

“Discipline makes anybody. I’ve worked with Kanu since 1992 and he has continued to amaze me with everything he does on the field. He’s prolific and has great technique. Kanu is dangerous inside the box,” he added.

The former technical director revealed that he gave Kanu his first invitation to the national team.

“The Under-20 team had problems during the qualifiers for the 1993 African Youth Championship when James Paters was coach of the team and I was with Clemens Westerhoff in the Super Eagles at that time.”

“The NFA decided to draft me to fortify the team so I got in touch with Uche Ejimofor, who was team manager of Kanu’s team, Iwuanyanwu Nationale.”

“Fanny Amun eventually came to me that Kanu would be useful to the Under-17 national team. That was how he landed in the Under-17 national team and the NFA later directed Peters to return to the Under-20 team, while I went back to my position as chief coach of the Eagles,” he said.

Interestingly, Disu and Kanu re-united at the Under-17 team after his elevation to the technical director’s position at the NFA.

Disu stated that he was able to restore the unity of the team when Kanu and Wilson Oruma had a dispute at the competition.

“Kanu was magical as Nigeria won the Under-17 World Cup in Japan.

“In fact, I settled a dispute between him and Wilson Oruma at that time so that the team would benefit. Both players were good for the highest goal scorer award and there was this issue about their refusal to pass to each other because of the award.

“I had to call them and make them understand that it was necessary to pass the ball if the other person was in the best position to score. Both players agreed with me.