Benni McCarthy Lists AFCON as Why Man Utd Failed to Sign Osimhen
2026-02-17 Galatasaray SK v Juventus FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off First Leg ISTANBUL, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray SK, Federico Gatti of Juventus FC during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Galatasaray SK and Juventus FC at Rams Park Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo by BSR Agency Istanbul Turkey Content not available for redistribution in The Netherlands directly or indirectly through any third parties. Copyright: xBSRxAgencyx
*Osimhen justifies Galatasaray’s investment, help knockout Juventus from UCL
Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report
A former Manchester United first-team coach, Benni McCarthy, has revealed that the biennial staging of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which regularly falls in the middle of the European season, was responsible for why the Red Devil failed to sign Victor Osimhen.
But the 27-year-old Nigerian striker justified the huge €75million and about €20million yearly salary paid by Galatasaray as he helped the Turkish champions knockout Juventus from the Champions League last night. He scored in Galatasaray’s ’ 3-2 loss in extra time in Turin but qualified 7-5 aggregate for the Last 16. They are to face the winner of the clash between Liverpool and Tottenham in the Last 16.
McCarthy who is a former South African Bafana Bafana forward was part of the Old Trafford staff under then manager Erik ten Hag when Manchester United initiated the move to lure the 2023 African Player of the Year to the Theater of Dreams.
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.
According to McCarthy in an interview with Newsdayon the BBC World Service, the biennial staging of the 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,” observed McCarthy who at the time played a role in the recruitment of strikers and thought Osimhen would “fit perfect” with the Red Devils.
He continued: “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 £72million 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.
RESULTS
UCL
Atalanta 4-1 Dortmund
(Aggregate 4-3)
Juventus 3-2 Galatasaray
(Aggregate 5-7)
PSG 2-2 Monaco
(Aggregate 5-4)
R’Madrid 2-1 Benfica
(Aggregate 3-1)
NPFL
Rivers Utd 1-0 Barau
TODAY
Europa League
Stuttgart v Celtic
C’Zvezda v Lille
Ferencvaros v Ludogorets
Plzen v Panathinaikos
Bologna v Brann
Genk v Din. Zagreb
Nottingham v Fenerbache
Celta Vigo v PAOK
