Sports
Carragher Clarifies AFCON Remarks After Backlash
By Benjamin Abioye
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has addressed the controversy surrounding his comments on the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
He insisted that he never meant to be “ignorant or disrespectful” after facing criticism from African football legends.
Speaking during a broadcast show after Tuesday’s Champions League matches, Carragher admitted that his choice of words could have been better.
“What I would never want to be described as, as a pundit, would be ignorant or disrespectful. That was never my aim, whether that’s to a player, a club, a country, a continent, an international tournament—whatever that may be,” he stated.
Carragher clarified that his original argument was based on historical voting trends in the Ballon d’Or rather than his personal opinion on AFCON’s importance.
“Where I got it wrong was I was clumsy with my language in describing AFCON as not a major tournament. I was trying to explain the merits of Mo Salah winning the Ballon d’Or, and I feel that not just AFCON but also tournaments like the Asia Games and Gold Cup don’t resonate with the people who vote for the award,” he explained.
He also pointed out that Ballon d’Or voting has traditionally favored tournaments like the UEFA European Championship.
“Sometimes we forget that the Ballon d’Or was originally the European Footballer of the Year award,” he said, suggesting that this history might explain certain biases in the voting process.
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