Super Eagles full-back Zaidu Sanusi is in line to face Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates soon, after being included in FC Porto’s 28-man squad for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup kicking off this weekend in the United States.
The 27-year-old was reportedly set for a potential summer exit after making just three league appearances and featuring in a total of eight matches across all competitions for the Dragons in the just-concluded 2024-25 campaign.
Despite the lack of game time, Sanusi has been named in manager Martín Anselmi’s squad set to do battle in Group A of the revamped Club World Cup tournament alongside Brazilian outfit Palmeiras, African club of the century Al Ahly of Egypt, and Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami of the USA.
Porto will play Palmeiras in their opening fixture on June 15, before taking on Inter Miami on June 19. They will conclude their group phase with a clash against African football giants, Al Ahly.
The tournament, which features 32 teams, will run from June 15 to July 13 across 11 cities and 12 venues in the USA. The top two teams from each of the eight groups will advance to the knockout stages, with all match-ups decided in single-elimination format.
Sanusi, who has spent the majority of his career in Portugal, first featured for Gil Vicente before moving on a free transfer to Mirandela in the summer of 2018.
The following summer, he was on the move again, this time to Santa Clara on a Bosman before securing a high-profile switch to FC Porto in August 2020, where he has remained ever since.
In his time at the Estadio do Dragao outfit, Sanusi has made a total of 128 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing one assist.
He made his debut for the Super Eagles under former manager, Gernot Rohr, in an international friendly encounter against the Desert Foxes of Algeria on 9 October, 2020, which Nigeria lost 1-0, and has been capped 22 times by the national team.
Other notable inclusions for the Portuguese Primeira Liga powerhouse are youngsters Gabriel Bras, Andre Oliveira, and Angel Alarcon, while new €15 million summer acquisition Gabri Veiga will be looking to hit the ground running on a positive note as he begins life with his new employers.
Also added to the squad are goalkeeper Diogo Costa and attacking midfielder Rodrigo Mora, who recently helped Portugal claim their second UEFA Nations League title after defeating Spain via penalties last Sunday.
There is also room for young striker Samu Aghehowa, who was part of the La Furia Roja squad that lost to Portugal in the Nations League final. Midfielders Eustáquio and Deniz Gul are part of the squad but will link up with the team later due to their commitments with their respective national teams in FIFA-sanctioned matches.
Anselmi has left out Grujic from the final squad, as he continues to regain fitness, while Samuel Portugal is recovering from an elbow injury. Tiago Djaló is also absent after multiple disciplinary breaches throughout the season.