Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher demeaned the African Cup of Nations for his recent comments.
Carragher suggested that AFCON’s weight differs from those in other major international matches, sparking widespread criticism from football figures and fans.
“I love debate, but I never want to be described as an ignorant and disrespectful expert. It’s by no means my goal, whether it’s a team, a player, a mainland or a game.”
“What I said I got it wrong is that I awkwardly describe AFCON is not a big game to my language. I tried to explain the merits of Mo Salah winning the Ballon d’Or, and I felt that not only AFCON, Asian Cup or Gold Cup. There are five major games in each continent except the World Cup.
“But some of them won’t resonate with those who voted for Ballon d’Or, that’s not an opinion. It’s the fact. Look at those who have won the award in the last 40-50 years.
“I’ve been the first African player to win the Ballon d’Or for Mo Salah, since George Weah in the mid-90s, I should have had a lot more tidy language around it, but if you look at the euro right now, it resonates with some journalists, state coaches and captains who choose to win awards.
“One of the reasons is that we forgot that Ballon d’OR is mainly for European football, so maybe there is a bias towards European football. That’s not my goal.
