'I Regret Not Representing Nigeria' – Former Manchester City Defender

'I Regret Not Representing Nigeria' – Former Manchester City Defender 

Sampson Adedeji

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha has admitted that he regrets not representing Nigeria at the international level despite having the opportunity to play for the Super Eagles, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Onuoha made the revelation while speaking on the In The Mixer podcast, where he explained that concerns about the timing of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) influenced his decision during his playing career.

According to the former defender, his focus at the time was firmly on establishing himself at Manchester City.

“Coming through the City academy and being a supporter of the club, nothing was more important to me than playing for City,” Onuoha said.

The former defender also revealed that competition for places under then-manager Roberto Mancini made him cautious about leaving the club for international duty.

“Mancini had just arrived at the club, and then Dedryck Boyata came from the reserves and started playing ahead of me.

“Thinking from the football standpoint, I realised going away for six weeks because of AFCON might not put me in a better position at City when I got back,” he added.

Onuoha further explained that AFCON did not enjoy the same level of recognition at the time compared to the present era, noting that some clubs were reluctant to sign African players because of the tournament schedule.

“In those times, AFCON wasn’t as big as now. Most African players were not signed because AFCON was in that window,” he stated.

The former City defender also spoke about the criticism he faced over his international decision.

“I was put in the bracket of players that would rather beg to play for England than choose to play for Nigeria, and once you’ve been painted with that brush, it’s done,” he said.

Reflecting on his career, Onuoha admitted that turning down the chance to play international football remains one of his biggest regrets.

“Looking back on my career, there are lots of things where I wish I had done something differently, even though at the time it made perfect sense to me.

“I regret not playing international football.”