Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha has admitted he regrets turning down the chance to represent the Nigeria national football team, revealing that concerns surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations heavily influenced his decision at the time.
Born in Warri, Delta State, to Nigerian parents, Onuoha was eligible to play for Nigeria despite representing England at youth level during his career.
Now 39 and retired from football, the former defender has reflected on one of the biggest decisions of his career and believes it ultimately cost him an international future.
Speaking on the Mixer podcast, Onuoha explained that his fears about leaving City during the January AFCON period played a major role in his rejection of Nigeria’s invitation.
“At the time, there was going to be an AFCON coming up and the manager was getting in contact with me,” he said.
“But I remember thinking, ‘I’m currently not playing at City here and I’m going to go away for six weeks in January. I’m going to come back and have nothing.’”
At the time, Onuoha was trying to establish himself under then-City manager Roberto Mancini and feared disappearing further down the pecking order if he left for international duty.
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The former defender admitted that, unlike today, the Africa Cup of Nations was not widely viewed in Europe as a major platform for players to raise their profile.
“It’s not like you see now, where players can go away to an AFCON and it’s a platform,” he explained. “Back then, it wasn’t really seen that way.”
Despite rejecting Nigeria, Onuoha insisted his connection to the country has always remained deeply personal.
“If I’m in a room full of Nigerians, I feel like I know every single one of them,” he said.
“Something about the culture is like, ‘That’s my family, that’s my bloodline.’”
His decision, however, drew criticism at the time particularly from Nigerian football legend Jay-Jay Okocha, who famously warned him in 2010 that he would regret snubbing the Super Eagles while waiting for an England opportunity that never arrived.
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel also questioned the choice, according to Onuoha.
“But what made it worse was people put me in this bracket of players who would rather beg to play for England than represent Nigeria,” he said.
“Once you’re painted with that brush, you’re done.”
Years later, the former defender admits Okocha may have been right.
“As I retired, I regret not playing international football,” Onuoha confessed.
“And if I’d had the chance to do it for Nigeria, I know how much it would have meant for people like me.”
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Ironically, the Manchester City breakthrough he protected never truly arrived under Mancini. Onuoha eventually left the club after loan spells and later continued his career with Queens Park Rangers and in Major League Soccer with Real Salt Lake.
Looking back now, the former defender believes rejecting Nigeria remains one of the defining regrets of his football journey.
