Zaidu Sanusi came off the bench to score his first goal since the 2023/24 season in FC Porto’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Arouca.
Porto were dominant on the night, with goals from Samuel Aghehowa, Deniz Gul, Francisco Moura, and Sanusi sealing the comprehensive win for the Portuguese giants.
Sanusi was introduced in the 68th minute and delivered an impressive performance.
He completed 85% of his passes, created one chance, registered 100% tackle success, made two ball recoveries, and won 100% of his ground duels.
The Nigerian international capped off his display with a goal in the 85th minute.
A well-timed pass from Alberto Costa found Sanusi unmarked in the box, and he calmly slotted the ball past João Valido into the back of the net.
The goal was a deeply emotional moment for Sanusi, who had been sidelined for over a year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury before making his return to action in January 2025.
Also read: Zaidu Sanusi’s Resurgence: A Timely Boost for Club and Country
Sanusi was close to leaving the club during the summer, but new head coach Francesco Farioli decided to keep him, believing the left-back still had an important role to play in the team.
With his resurgence, Sanusi has put himself back in contention for a national team call-up by Eric Chelle ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.
Ola Aina is currently injured, while Bruno Onyemaechi has been struggling for game time at Olympiacos, featuring for only nine minutes this season.
