Izuchukwu Okosi
Super Eagles left back Zaidu Sanusi will most likely not make it to the Uyo camp of the Super Eagles until the last day of December at the earliest as Porto need the 24-year-old to be involved in their doubleheader against bitter rivals Benfica at the end of the month.
Porto will first play hosts to Benfica at the Estádio do Dragão in a Taça de Portugal Round of 16 matchup on December 23.
Seven days later (December 30), the two teams return to the same stadium to trade tackles in a game week 16 league clash.
Porto, joint leaders with Sporting Lisbon, currently sit atop the league standings with 38 points, four more than third-place Benfica.
And according to Portuguese publications A Bola, the Blue and Whites will not allow Sanusi to leave the club before those games, especially with head coach Sergio Conceicao’s second option at left-back, Brazil’s Wendell Borges, presently sidelined through injury.
When unveiling part of his plans for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen noted that the Super Eagles camp would open just after Christmas.
But several integral members of the national team will not be on the ground on that date.
Scottish champions Rangers are keen to keep hold of Joe Aribo, Leon Balogun, and Calvin Bassey until the Gers’ January 2 Premiership tie against rivals Celtic.
Victor Osimhen is reportedly racing against time to recover from his injury and be available for the Super Eagles after Napoli’s Serie A clash with Juventus on January 6.
Eguavoen already admitted that he is still putting together the Super Eagles list for the 2021 Afcon, but Sanusi is likely to be in the final squad.
Sanusi has made six appearances for the Super Eagles since making his debut for the three-time African champions last year.
And he is expected to go head-to-head with Paderborn’s defender Jamilu Collins for the left-back spot.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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