Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has addressed the backlash over his comments on the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), emphasizing that he never meant to be “ignorant or disrespectful” towards African football.
Carragher’s remarks came during a Sky Sports discussion following Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City. He suggested that Mohamed Salah’s biggest obstacle in the Ballon d’Or race was Egypt’s lack of international success and the lower recognition of AFCON compared to other tournaments.
His statement immediately drew criticism from African football legends, including Ahmed Elmohamady, Jay-Jay Okocha, John Mikel Obi, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Austin Eguavoen, who felt his words undermined the significance of AFCON.
Speaking again after Tuesday’s Champions League matches, Carragher admitted that his choice of words was poor, particularly when he referred to AFCON as “not a major tournament.”
Clarifying his stance, he explained that his argument was based on historical voting patterns for the Ballon d’Or, where European tournaments have traditionally carried more weight.
“As a pundit, the last thing I would ever want is to be seen as ignorant or disrespectful—to a player, a club, a country, a continent, or an international tournament,” Carragher stated.
He further explained: “Where I got it wrong was in how I phrased it. I was trying to highlight the factors that influence Ballon d’Or voting. It’s not just AFCON—tournaments like the Asian Cup and Gold Cup also don’t seem to have the same impact on voters as European competitions.”
Carragher reaffirmed his respect for African football and acknowledged that while the Ballon d’Or has historically favored players excelling in Europe, that does not diminish the importance of AFCON.
