Super Eagles left-back Zaidu Sanusi starred for FC Porto in their 1Zaidi-0 conquest against the most successful Portuguese club Benfica at the Estadio Da Luz on Saturday. FC Porto clinched their 30th title, attaining 88 points after 33 games in the Primeira Liga this season with a game to spare. Porto clinched the title ahead of Sporting CP, who also played 33 games and secured 82 points.
Pepe provided an assist, which Zaidu converted into a goal in the extra minute. The 24-year-old Nigerian left-back scored his third Liga goal and his 5th since joining FC Porto. Zaidu Sanusi wins his first Liga title since joining FC Porto and his second trophy in 2020 from CD Santa Clara. The Nigerian-born defender has since then made 75 appearances for the Dragon. Sanusi who also made his debut in October 2020 for Super Eagles under the tutelage of Genort Rohr has made 9 appearances in the green white green colours.
Despite the Super Eagles’ horrendous elimination in the knockout stages of the African Cup of Nations this year in Cameroon and their inability to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, many of the Supers Eagle’s players have moved on and have stepped up their games with their respective clubs.
Simon Moses over the weekend also celebrated his first trophy, Coupe de France with Nantes when they defeated Nice with a 1-0 victory on Saturday. The Nigerian forward had netted Nantes only two goals that secured them a point away at Lens. Simon has made 33 appearances for Nantes this season, and with 14 goals contribution.
Nigerian striker Anthony Nwakaeme also lifted the Turkish Süper Lig with Trabzonspor after 38 years of effort. The Trabzonspor talisman is the club’s second top scorer this season and is yet to make an appearance for the Eagles since his previous appearance in 2017.
Brilliantly, Nigerian trio Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo, and Leon Balogun all qualified for the Europa League final with Rangers. They could be the next Eagles players to lift the trophy after Samuel Chukwueze last season.
Unfortunately, Super Eagles assistant Captain Troost Ekong, Dennis Emmanuel, Egenekharo Etebo, and Kalu Samuel will all play at the English second tier next season with Watford confirmed to have been relegated from the EPL.
