Zaidu Sanusi’s participation in Nigeria’s crucial Africa Cup of Nations final against Cote d’Ivoire remains uncertain as the FC Porto left-back battles a fitness issue.
Throughout the tournament, Sanusi has been a key figure in the Super Eagles’ lineup, providing stability in defense and contributing to four clean sheets in five appearances. However, his availability for the highly anticipated final on Sunday hangs in the balance as he races against time to recover from injury.
Sanusi’s absence was notable in Nigeria’s semifinal clash against South Africa, where Bright Osayi-Samuel admirably filled in at right-back, with Ola Aina shifting to the left-back position.
Coach Jose Peseiro clarified that Sanusi sustained a knock in the previous game against Angola, casting doubt on his fitness for the final. Peseiro revealed that the 26-year-old is still working to regain full fitness and will undergo a late assessment to determine his availability.
“Sanusi Zaidu had a conditioning training session yesterday. We will conduct the final training session today, and we will assess him to see if he will be available,” Peseiro stated, as reported by Soccernet.ng.
Should Sanusi be unable to recover in time, Peseiro can rely on Osayi-Samuel to step up once again and contribute to Nigeria’s pursuit of victory in the AFCON final against Cote d’Ivoire.
