Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand have sparred over their differing opinions regarding AFCON after the ex-Liverpool star appeared to show no respect for the tournament.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and his Manchester United counterpart Rio Ferdinand have sparred over the former’s comment regarding the Africa Cup of Nations, which was considered disrespectful.
Carragher drew the ire of fans, especially from Africa, when he claimed on Sunday that Liverpool star Mohamed Salah might not get into the Ballon d’Or conversation, even if he leads the Reds to Premier League and Champions League glory, because he has not played in a major tournament with Egypt.
“I think the problem (is) the fact he’s with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in the major tournament as such, or maybe got a great chance of winning, I think it’s either the Champions League or the major tournament,” Carragher said on Sky Sports on Sunday.
However, the comment was not taken kindly as fans were quick to point out that the AFCON is also a major tournament, just like the Euros and Copa America, and that Carragher’s sentiments further showed the disrespect it receives.
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Ferdinand weighed in, saying Carragher’s take is the opinion of many, but believes the continent deserves more respect given the talents it has produced for the Premier League and world football in general.
“I think [what he said] is representative of most of the people out there. But I don’t think that’s right. It’s an ignorant thought process,” Ferdinand said on Monday.
“If you go to Didier Drogba, Abedi Pele, Samuel Eto’o, Riyad Mahrez, Mo Salah or Sadio Mane, they’ll tell you ‘we have to win this’ – there’s demand in their country to win this.
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“Yes, it doesn’t get backed resources wise like the Euros but that doesn’t mean you have to devalue it. It should be respected more than it is.
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“I understand what Jamie’s saying but I don’t agree with it. That’s the majority’s fault and it’s not right. I think the federations like FIFA need to make sure they implement language around AFCON so it equals the Euros and the Copa America.”
However, Carragher was not impressed by Ferdinand’s assertions and reacted angrily through a post on Instagram.
“I didn’t say that you clown. Stop playing to the gallery like you always do,” Carragher said in his response to Ferdinand.
The former Liverpool defender’s comments have reignited debate over the disrespect directed towards AFCON despite the tournament showcasing the best of African football.
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Reacting to Carragher’s remarks, Confederation of African Football (CAF) put up a tweet with an image of great celebrations in the stadium and the streets during and after an AFCON tournament, with a cheeky caption reading, “Major Tournament. That’s the tweet.”
CAF has made great strides in ensuring AFCON gets the respect it deserves with the 2023 tournament in the Ivory Coast receiving a record two billion viewers worldwide while generating $80 million in profit, the highest ever.
