Former England international Jamie Carragher has acknowledged that he was clumsy and wrong in his remarks about the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), admitting that he misrepresented the tournament’s importance while discussing Mohamed Salah’s Ballon d’Or chances.
The former Liverpool defender faced widespread criticism after he claimed on Sky Sports that AFCON is not a major tournament. His comments sparked backlash from football figures including Micah Richards and Rio Ferdinand, with the latter labeling his stance ignorant.
Appearing on CBS Sports’ Golazo Show, Carragher attempted to clarify his remarks, insisting that he never intended to be disrespectful and pledging to be more careful with his choice of words in the future.
“I have got very strong opinions on the game, I love debate, and that will never change,” he said.
“But what I would never want to be described as, as a pundit, is ignorant or disrespectful, so that was never my aim. And whether that’s to a player, a club, a country, a continent, a continental tournament, whatever that may be.”
Clumsy Wording and Ballon d’Or Bias
Carragher admitted that his wording was poorly chosen, conceding that he should not have dismissed AFCON’s status as a major tournament.
“Where I got it wrong was, I was clumsy describing AFCON as not a major tournament. I was trying to explain the merits of Mo Salah winning the Ballon d’Or,” he explained.
He further attempted to contextualize his claim by pointing out that while AFCON is undoubtedly a major tournament, it has historically had less impact on Ballon d’Or voting.
“There are five major tournaments out there besides the World Cup that are for their continent and are a major tournament. But some of them don’t resonate with the people who vote for the Ballon d’Or. And that for me was not an opinion, that was a fact in terms of looking at who had won the Ballon d’Or in the last 40 or 50 years.”
Despite his defense, Carragher acknowledged that his language should have been more precise, particularly given the significance of AFCON to African players and their nations.
“Yes, I’ve been banging the drum for Mo Salah to become the first African player to win the Ballon d’Or since George Weah in the mid-’90s. As I said, I should have been a lot tidier with my language around that, so yes, that’s something I’ll look at.”
Ferdinand’s Response and Carragher’s Heated Exchange
Carragher’s comments had sparked a strong reaction from Rio Ferdinand, who called his stance ignorant and stressed that AFCON holds immense value for African players and their nations.
“I think that’s an ignorant thought process because if you go to Didier Drogba, Abedi Pele, Samuel Eto’o and down to the players now like Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane now, they will tell you: ‘We have to win this!'” Ferdinand said.
“It’s a demand in their countries to win this. Yes, it doesn’t get backed resources-wise like a Euros etc., but that doesn’t mean that you have to devalue it. It’s a continent of huge power and a continent that contributes to European football through players immensely, massively.”
Carragher, clearly frustrated by the backlash, initially hit back at Ferdinand on social media, writing:
“I didn’t say that you clown, stop playing to the gallery like you always do.”
However, following the widespread criticism, he has now accepted that his comments were poorly framed and insists that he never intended to disrespect AFCON or African football.
Acknowledging the Importance of AFCON
Carragher’s revised stance comes after weeks of intense criticism, with many highlighting AFCON’s role in shaping some of the world’s greatest players. The tournament, which has produced African legends like Drogba, Eto’o, and Abedi Pele, remains a key battleground for national pride and footballing excellence.
While Carragher maintains that AFCON has historically not influenced Ballon d’Or voting, his admission of error and commitment to choosing his words more carefully suggest a willingness to acknowledge African football’s rich heritage and its global significance.
“It was definitely not my aim to offend anybody – I know I’ve done that a lot in the past in different guises about different players and teams. But that was certainly not the case. Yes, hopefully that’s now addressed it,” he concluded.
