Zaidu Sanusi reminded Porto fans of his attacking threat on Monday night as he broke a two-year scoring drought in a 4-0 win over Arouca – www.isagoal.com reports.
The Nigerian international had been sidelined for months with injuries, struggling to regain rhythm and minutes at Porto.
According to report, the fullback was introduced in the second half and sealed the win with a composed left-footed strike after a swift counterattack.
VAR briefly delayed his celebration, but the decision stood, and the relief on his face told its own story.
Sanusi had not scored since November 2023 against Vitoria Guimaraes, making this goal more than just a statistic.
Before his introduction, Porto had already put the contest beyond doubt with goals from Samu Aghehowa, Deniz Gul, and Francisco Moura.
Even the red card to Martim Fernandes could not derail their dominance as they extended their Primeira Liga lead.
For Sanusi, the bigger victory is his resurgence after an eight-month layoff with a knee injury that cost him his spot for both club and country.
During his absence, Nigeria rotated through several options at left-back including Bruno Onyemaechi, Ola Aina, and Calvin Bassey.
The 28-year-old last played for the Super Eagles at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast before another setback in his first Porto game after the tournament.
His return comes at a crucial period, with Nigeria set to announce the squad for October’s World Cup qualifiers.
Eric Chelle faces pressure to fix defensive instability, and Sanusi’s experience provides a natural solution.
The fullback has featured in four of Porto’s six matches this month, showing he is regaining match sharpness.
“Every player waits for moments like this after injury,” Sanusi said with relief following the win.
Nigeria are already through to the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, but the focus is now on qualification for the World Cup.
This article was updated 5 minutes ago
