Former Nigeria international Ogenyi Onazi, during an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa, hit back at claims that Manchester United passed on signing Victor Osimhen due to his Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) commitments, describing the reasoning as “flimsy.”
Onazi’s reaction follows recent comments from former Manchester United assistant coach Benni McCarthy, who revealed that the Super Eagles striker was at the top of the club’s shortlist during his time at Old Trafford.
McCarthy suggested the United board ultimately balked at a £100m move because they were unwilling to lose their primary goalscorer for a month during the mid-season tournament.
While McCarthy who assisted Eric Ten Hag during his time at Old Trafford believed Osimhen would have been “perfect” for the Premier League, the United hierarchy reportedly snubbed him for other targets, and eventually signed Rasmus Højlund from Atalanta for £72m in August 2023.
Osimhen also left Napoli to join Galatasaray in September 2024, where he has since maintained his status as one of the world’s most clinical forwards.
However, Onazi who lifted the 2013 AFCON with Nigeria said the tournament shouldn’t have been a “stumbling block” for a club of United’s stature if they really wanted the player.
‘A flimsy excuse’
“Well, for me, I don’t think that’s an excuse for them not to sign Victor,” Onazi exclusively told Footy-Africa.
“If they know the importance and what he could be able to bring to the table for Manchester United, that shouldn’t be an excuse because there are other players who go to the African Nations Cup in Manchester United and other clubs too as well, that are very important like Mo Salah in Liverpool.
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He’s an important player in the team and they know what he can do for them. And going for the African Cup is just a month. And you cannot tell me, even there shouldn’t be a difference between going for the African Cup and then coming back, because even their situation, even what they have spent even in the club, still yet they struggle so much from the start of the season.
It’s just recently that they began to get their feet and then winning some games to get to where they are. Victor would have been. very important player in a team and he might even do the job before going to the African Cup and then go and come back. For me, it doesn’t make any sense that they passed on the chance. That’s not any excuse for him to say that Manchester United were thinking about him going to the Nations Cup—that is why they didn’t sign him. I think that’s just a flimsy excuse.”
No club interference
Reflecting on his own career, which saw him win the 2013 title while playing for Lazio, Onazi stated he never faced club pressure to skip international duty.
“I’ve never had such a kind of thing before,” the midfielder explained. “I don’t know, maybe it’s just some of the English clubs, because I used to hear rumors about that. But I’m not sure about how it is, because even on Fifa, it’s not allowed for a club not to allow a player to go for the African Nations Cup,” he added.
“African Cup is one of the most important tournaments in Africa. And so, no club can stop any player from going. So, I don’t think that’s an excuse.”
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Nigerian excellence in Europe
Beyond the transfer talk, Onazi expressed his pride in the current crop of Nigerian talent performing across the continent.
“For sure, Victor (Osimhen) is number one, who always delivers any day, any time, every time in the game. So, for me, he’s one of the top on the chart,” he said.
“And then number two is going for Lookman. Ademola Lookman is doing amazingly well in Atletico Madrid, and he has been a very, very good signing for them. Simeone is happy and impressed with his performance as well.”
The defensive midfielder also praised Paul Onuachu who is the leading scorer in the Turkish Super Lig with Trabzonspor.
“Paul Onuachu, another amazing player now who is doing also perfectly well in Turkey, scoring every game by game and doing very well for Trabzonspor. And Akor Adams as well, doing really good too as well for his club as well.
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I think they’re making us really, really proud and we just want them to keep on exploring in their clubs and coming to the national team to be able to give us the same energy, reciprocate the same energy in the national team,” Onazi concluded.
