"I Clumsily Described the AFCON," Jamie Carragher Apologizes

Jamie Carragher has issued an apology for his controversial remarks about the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which he labeled as "non-major," sparking reactions from numerous African football figures.

During a broadcast on Sky Sports, the former Liverpool defender and now sports pundit claimed that Mohamed Salah's participation in AFCON reduced his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or. He implied that this tournament was not as prestigious as other international competitions. This statement was perceived as downplaying the importance of AFCON and triggered a wave of criticism.

The Confederation of African Football, along with several African football legends such as Emmanuel Adebayor, El Hadji Diouf, Okocha, and Ahmed Hassan expressed their outrage over Carragher's comments. Faced with the scale of the reactions, the 47-year-old Englishman reconsidered his words.

"I have very strong opinions, I love debate and that will never change. However, I would not want to be described as an ignorant or disrespectful pundit, whether it's towards a player, a club, a country, a continent, a continental tournament, whatever. What I would say is that where I went wrong was that I clumsily described AFCON as not being a major tournament," the former Reds defender initially admitted.

"I was trying to explain what could help Mo Salah win the Ballon d'Or, and I wanted to explain that AFCON, like the Gold Cup and the Asian Games (actually the Asian Cup, editor's note), may have less resonance with those voting for the Ballon d'Or. But they remain major tournaments. It was certainly not my intention to offend anyone. I hope my remarks have been understood and that no one still feels offended," Jamie Carragher concluded.

Lydiane N'Po |

Editorfr, en

Sports journalist specializing in African football, covering football news, exclusive stories and digital content for passionate fans of the game.