Super Eagles star Zaidu Sanusi on Thursday evening made his 150th appearance for FC Porto, as they were held to a 1-1 home draw against Nottingham Forest in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final clash.
Playing the full 90 minutes at the Estádio do Dragão, the Nigerian delivered a strong defensive performance.
From his 77 touches, he completed ten passes into the final third, recorded seven defensive contributions, won three tackles, made two clearances, and registered five recoveries.
However, after William Gomes’ opener for Porto, a bizarre Martim Fernandes own goal equalised for Forest.
Despite VAR overturning an Igor Jesus strike and Porto missing late chances, Forest leaves Portugal satisfied, carrying a balanced scoreline back to the City Ground.
The Nigerian left-back joined Porto from Santa Clara in August 2020 on a five-year deal and quickly established himself as a key player.
He has played an important role in the team’s success, including their 2021/22 league title triumph, and has featured in the UEFA Champions League, despite facing recent injury setbacks.
The 28-year-old, now in his sixth season at the club, began his Porto career in the 2020/21 campaign, making 41 appearances while contributing two goals and one assist.
In his second season, he featured in 40 matches and scored three goals. His third campaign saw him play 31 games, with one goal to his name.
In his fourth season, Sanusi was limited to just ten appearances, scoring once, while his fifth campaign proved even more difficult, as he managed only six appearances.
In the ongoing 2025/26 season, the Nigerian international has already made 22 appearances for Porto, registering one goal and two assists.
Meanwhile, his compatriot Terem Moffi played 59 minutes and made a significant contribution to his team’s goal against the Premier League side before being replaced by Deniz Gül.