The Africa Cup of Nations schedule is a major reason why Manchester United did not try to sign Victor Osimhen, according to the club’s former first-team coach Benni McCarthy.
Nigeria striker Osimhen attracted attention from Europe’s elite sides after scoring 26 league goals in 2022-23 to help fire Napoli to a first Italian title in 33 years.
McCarthy, who at the time was part of the Old Trafford staff under then manager Erik ten Hag, has revealed he played a role in the recruitment of strikers and thought Osimhen would “fit perfect” with the Red Devils.
But the biennial staging of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), which regularly falls in the middle of the European season, meant United switched to other targets despite Osimhen initially being “at the top of the list”.
“If you spend £100m on a player, you don’t want to lose him for Afcon,” McCarthy, South Africa legend, told Newsday on the BBC World Service.
“I think he would have been very successful there. But it [Afcon] was a big stumbling block.
“Losing him for so many important matches, the team suffers not having the main striker there.
“So the decision was made. Literally [a] big part was because of the Afcon and Victor Osimhen’s name got scratched off – not a player of interest because of that.”
United instead signed Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta for £72m in August 2023, with the Denmark international scoring 26 goals in 95 appearances before joining Napoli on loan last September.
Osimhen, meanwhile, was named African footballer of the year in 2023 but left Napoli to join Galatasaray on loan in September 2024, and the 27-year-old then sealed a permanent switch to the Turkish giants last July.
He helped Galatasaray overcome Juventus in the UEFA Champions League playoffs.
10 Comments
You guys keeps coming up with endless excuses bla bla bla whereas the lad has moved on and doing better things with Gala now in the 2nd round of the EUFA champions league.But you signed Andre Onana later Bryan Mbeumo probably these two play in another version of the AFCON in the summer.
Truth is dude shamed you all by progressing with Gala..You didn’t see it coming right?!
Greenturf have you forgotten that mbeumo, onana and amad diallo are from england?? They participate in the euros and not afcon….
And you call a career in a third class league as progress?? Bro I am dissapointed in this your comment….
All 3 of them combined barely cross the 400k per week threshold only Osimhen takes home.
So continue comparing the usage of a 1972 VW Beetle to a Cullinan….. LMAOoo.
In your own words, “you go explain taya”….. LMAOOO
The effontry you have to want us to believe you over a Man United insider needs to be investigated…. LMAOoo
Isn’t that why Gala is regretting, wasted their money on an injury prone player in a 3rd class league. Do you know how many fit players they can get with those wages
Una go explain tire..una really never ready to tell the truth….but only legends will understand say osimhen displinary issues played a big part why big clubs like man u did not put serious effort in signing him….
What! For a big and serious club like man u??? Using afcon as flimsy excuse… just a one month tournament???oh nah!!
Chelsea signing of drogba in 2004 under mourinho for 24m was regarded as very expensive then…but chelsea always had players like anelka(15m) malouda(around 20m) to step up when their big money signing is gone for afcon duty… And they always do well im their absence…
And I remember chelsea had mikel, kalou, essien too…so whaf is all these afcon excuses…
Heheheh…But wait a minute! So man u for fit meet the valuation if not for afcon… I thought he placed too much value on himself that no one can meet except for maybe mancity and real madrid…lol…
Hoohahaha……he has been slapped by words coming out from the horse’s mouth…… LMAOOO.
Fabrizio Romano from the latrine s….. LMAOoo….we should believe you ahead of a Man United coach abi…… LMAOOoo
Don’t worry, continue ehn…..na you go explain taya…… LMAOOoo
I will make sure Osimhen never knows peace…… LMAOOO
Hahahaha…..CSN seems determined to humiliate that street dog that has been making a fool of itself on this forum for almost 2 years.
I can feel how heavy it’s heart is pounding out of humiliation….. LMAOoo.
Big clubs didn’t want Osimhen because of Finidi…… LMAOOooo
When we talk…. illiterates argue….LMAOooo.
Lies can run for a century, it only takes a day for the truth to catch up.
I will make sure Osimhen never knows peace….. LMAOoo…..guess who is gasping for peace at the moment…… LMAOooo
bros this one no bi excuse. the afcon go com and finish nawo
God bless you my brother…
So you want to deny the fact that top clubs do avoid African players because of AFCON……. LMAOOO….?
Yes Afcon is just 1 month…..but the most crucial 1 month of the season for serious clubs with ambitions. A period where a club may play up to 7 matches depending on the number of competitions they are still involved in.
Remember, Afcon used to be January and February….so we are talking 1 full month plus 2 weeks of pre tournament camping, possibly of injuries, loss of form and weariness from the number and intensity of matches played.
So you sign a player from £100m pay him £300k per week to lose him for a guaranteed 8weeks…….we’ve not talk about possibilities of other times of the season when the player will not be available.
That’s how you pay your own workers for 8weeks without them doing anything for you right…… LMAOOO.
Don’t worry…..you guys will cry harder trying to force false narratives….. LMAOOO
When Fabrizio Romano talks…..he’s lying. A former man united coach is talking now too….. he’s also lying….. LMAOOoo
Fountains and gatekeepers of the truth Una well done ehn…… LMAOOO.
See the pain in their heart…… Lmaoo……so palpable