Super Eagles’ left-back battle: Sanusi, Onyemaechi and new boy Isaac James

Zaidu Sanusi’s injury has opened the door for Isaac James, but the Super Eagles‘ left-back picture is more complicated than simply finding a replacement, Afrik-Foot reports.

Nigeria have three very different options in the position. Sanusi brings experience and a long spell at Porto. Bruno Onyemaechi offers international experience and the ability to operate in different defensive roles. James is the new face, a 22-year-old whose rise at Alverca has now earned him his first senior call-up.

Eric Chelle will have to balance what Nigeria need immediately with the players who could shape the position over the next few years.

Sanusi brings experience, but injury changes the equation

Sanusi has been one of Nigeria’s main left-backs since making his international debut in 2020. The 29-year-old has won 29 caps and built a career at Porto after joining the Portuguese giants from Santa Clara in 2020.

His club experience is difficult to match among Nigeria’s current left-back options. Sanusi has played in the Primeira Liga and European competitions, including the Champions League and Europa League, while competing for a starting place at one of Portugal’s biggest clubs.

He also started Porto’s first three league matches of the 2026/27 season. He played 90 minutes against Alverca, Rio Ave and Arouca before an injury ended his involvement against Académico de Viseu on August 29 after only 17 minutes. Porto won that match 3-0.

Medical tests confirmed a right adductor injury, with reports putting his recovery at about two months. That rules him out of Nigeria’s September AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

Sanusi’s value to Chelle therefore extends beyond these two matches. Once fit, he returns with the experience of nearly six years at Porto and close to 100 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Onyemaechi offers experience and versatility

Onyemaechi is the most established alternative available to Chelle while Sanusi is injured.

The 27-year-old has 28 Nigeria caps and has played regularly in European football since leaving Portugal’s Feirense for Boavista. Olympiacos signed him permanently in January 2025 for €2.5 million, with Boavista retaining 10 per cent of any future profit from his sale. He had made 77 appearances for Boavista before the move.

His value is not limited to playing as a conventional left-back. His defensive strength and experience allow Nigeria to use him in a back-four or in a wider role when the shape changes.

That experience matters during a demanding international window. Nigeria face Madagascar on September 25 before travelling to Guinea-Bissau four days later, leaving Chelle little room for major changes between the two matches.

Onyemaechi can provide a ready-made international option while James adjusts to his first Super Eagles camp.

James changes the long-term picture

James arrives with far less international experience but with a strong club argument.

The 22-year-old has started all six of Alverca’s league matches this season, playing 514 minutes and providing two assists. His latest appearance came in the 3-1 win away to Nacional on September 12.

His development has taken him from Garden City Panthers in Nigeria to trials at FC Midtjylland and Lorient in France. Lorient eventually signed him and placed him in their reserve system. Visa problems delayed his competitive debut, but he later broke into the first-team picture.

James made his professional debut for Lorient against Grenoble in Ligue 2 on August 24, 2024, before moving to Alverca in 2025. He has now established himself in Portugal and has started the new campaign with enough consistency to attract Chelle’s attention.

There is also tactical value in his profile. James can play at left-back, left wing-back and left-sided centre-back. That gives Chelle another left-footed defensive option and allows the coach to change the shape without necessarily making a substitution.

His first Super Eagles invitation does not automatically change the pecking order. Sanusi has the international and top-level club experience, while Onyemaechi has already accumulated 28 Nigeria caps. James is still at the beginning of his senior international career.

But his arrival gives Nigeria another player to develop in a position that has needed depth.

The immediate problem is Sanusi’s absence. The longer-term question is whether James can turn his strong start at Alverca into a sustained place in the Super Eagles setup.

That makes the left-back position one of the areas to watch as Chelle builds his squad for the September AFCON qualifiers and the international windows that follow.