Even if Zaidu is allowed to face Benfica, FC Porto will lose the left-back in at least three league games (Estoril, Belenenses and Famalicão) and one of the Portuguese Cup (quarter-finals).
It’s confirmed: Zaidu Sanusi has been called up to represent the Nigeria national team at CAN, which takes place between January 9th and February 6th.
Check out Augustine Eguavoen’s 28 summoned:
Guarda-redes: Francis Uzoho (Omonia); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam)
Defesas: Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor); Kenneth Omeruo (Leganés); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers); William Ekong (Watford); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn); Abdullahi Shehu (Omonia); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto); Olisa Ndah (Orlando Pirates)
Médios: Frank Onyeka (Brentford); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscovo); Kelechi Nwakali (Huesca)
Avançados: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal); Victor Osimhen (Napoles); Moses Simon (Nantes); Sadiq Umar (Almeria); Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Shabab); Alex Iwobi (Everton); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford)
Request to have Zaidu on the 30th
One of the most recent “ugly ducklings” of FC Porto for a more critical fringe of fans and analysts gained another shine in the derby with Benfica. Zaidu was unanimously considered one of the best elements of the team and makes the dragons sigh for the presence of the lateral in the reunion with the reds, on Thursday, for the championship.
The left-winger has been called up for the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), and by law, he is required to appear at the concentration two weeks before the “Super Eagles” debut at the event, on 11 January. Aware of the possibility, the blues and whites are only awaiting confirmation to immediately request the Nigerian federation that the player present himself at the concentration only at the beginning of 2022, a request they are convinced will be granted.
Even if Zaidu is allowed to face Benfica, FC Porto will lose the left-back in at least three league games (Estoril, Belenenses and Famalicão) and one of the Portuguese Cup (quarter-finals), since Nigeria has its first CAN group stage match on January 11th and the last on the 19th.
From here, everything will depend on the performance of the “Super Eagles”, historically one of the strongest teams on the African continent. If they reach the semi-finals, then the full-back will not return until February 6, the day when the third and fourth place qualifiers and the final are played, also leading to the loss of clashes with Arouca and Marítimo. And this, when he is going through the best moment since he started the season, with a goal against Vizela and an eye-catching display against Benfica.
Sides suffer the biggest casualties
The failed qualification of the Democratic Republic of Congo for the CAN finals mitigates FC Porto’s casualties in the first weeks of 2022, as Sérgio Conceição will always have Mbemba available, at a time when the options for the central defense (still ) are few. The defense will be, even so, the sector most affected, as everything points to that, in addition to Zaidu, Nanu will also see confirmed his presence in Guinea-Bissau’s squad for the competition. Interestingly, the two will even face off at the close of the group stage, on January 19th.
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