Zaidu Sanusi

Zaidu Sanusi (born 13 June 1997) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Portuguese club FC Porto and the Nigeria national team.

Zaidu Sanusi
Personal information
Full name Zaidu Sanusi[1]
Date of birth (1997-06-13) 13 June 1997[1]
Place of birth Jega, Nigeria[1]
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back
Club information
Current team
 Porto
Number 12
Youth career
2013–2016 Jega United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Gil Vicente 0 (0)
2017–2018 → Mirandela (loan) 39 (0)
2018–2019 Mirandela 32 (3)
2019–2020 Santa Clara 24 (1)
2020– Porto 43 (3)
National team‡
2020– Nigeria 10 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9:10, 5 April 2022 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 March 2022

Club career

Early years and Santa Clara

Born in Jega, Kebbi, 19-year-old Sanusi signed with Gil Vicente F.C. of the Portuguese Primeira Liga in 2016. In January 2017, he was loaned to third division club SC Mirandela.[2][3]

Sanusi reached an agreement to join C.D. Santa Clara on 16 March 2019, with the deal being made effective on 1 July.[4] He made his Portuguese top-flight debut on 15 September that year, coming on as a late substitute in a 2–0 home win against Moreirense FC.[5] He scored his first goal in the competition on 23 June 2020, in a 4–3 away victory over S.L. Benfica which marked the Azoreans' first-ever at the Estádio da Luz.[6]

Porto

On 30 August 2020, Sanusi signed a five-year contract with FC Porto.[7] He won the first trophy of his career on 23 December, when he played the entire 2–0 defeat of Benfica in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.[8][9] He finished his first year with 41 competitive matches,[10] scoring in the 4–3 league win over C.D. Tondela.[11]

International career

Sanusi made his debut for the Nigeria national team on 9 October 2020, in a 1–0 friendly defeat against Algeria in Klagenfurt.[12][13] He earned his first official cap the following month, in the 4–4 home draw with Sierra Leone for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.[14]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 12 December 2021[15]
Club Season League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Mirandela (loan) 2016–17 Campeonato de Portugal 17000———170
2017–18 Campeonato de Portugal 22000———220
Mirandela 2018–19 Campeonato de Portugal 32330———353
Total 71330———743
Santa Clara 2019–20 Primeira Liga 2411020——271
Porto 2020–21 Primeira Liga 251401010[lower-alpha 3]01[lower-alpha 4]0411
2021–22 Primeira Liga 8020006[lower-alpha 3]0—160
Total 331601016010571
Career total 128510030160101585
  1. Includes the Taça de Portugal
  2. Includes the Taça da Liga
  3. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  4. Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

International
As of match played 25 March 2022[16]
Nigeria
YearAppsGoals
202030
202130
202240
Total100

Honours

Porto

References
  1. "Z. Sanusi" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  2. Zeferino, André (30 August 2020). "Zaidu Sanusi: pérola açoriana à deriva" [Zaidu Sanusi: Azorean gem drifting] (in Portuguese). Pro Scout. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  3. "Zaidu recorda: "Fui assinar com o Gil Vicente e vesti a camisola do FC Porto"" [Zaidu remembers: "I went to sign with Gil Vicente and I was wearing FC Porto's jersey"]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 1 May 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  4. "Rising Nigerian left back Zaidu confirms agreement to join Portuguese side Santa Clara". Own Goal Nigeria. 16 March 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  5. Garcia, José (15 September 2019). "Santa Clara-Moreirense, 2–0 (crónica)" [Santa Clara-Moreirense, 2–0 (report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  6. "Santa Clara vence pela primeira vez na Luz. Veja o resumo do jogo" [Santa Clara win at the Luz for the first time. Watch match highlights] (in Portuguese). TSF. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  7. "Zaidu seals five-year deal with FC Porto". This Day. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  8. "FC Porto bate Benfica e conquista Supertaça pela 22ª vez" [FC Porto beat Benfica and conquer Supercup for the 22nd time]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 23 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  9. Ojewunmi, Moses (24 December 2020). "Zaidu Sanusi wins Portuguese super cup with FC Porto". Brila FM. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  10. Gouveia, Carlos (19 June 2021). "Zaidu tornou a Nigéria portista: "Digo a muita gente para ver a nossa equipa"" [Zaidu turned Nigeria into fans of Porto: "I tell many people to watch our team"]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  11. "FC Porto 4–3 Tondela. Campeão acaba encostado às cordas" [FC Porto 4–3 Tondela. Champions finish against the ropes]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 5 December 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  12. "Official: Rohr calls up Ejuke, Sanusi, Tijani two other new players for CIV, Tunisia friendlies". Complete Sports. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  13. "International friendly: Algeria beat Nigeria 1–0". Daily Nigerian. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  14. Omidiora, Seye (13 November 2020). "Nigeria 4–4 Sierra Leone: Super Eagles player ratings". Goal. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  15. Zaidu Sanusi at Soccerway
  16. "Z. Sanusi – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
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