Jamie Carragher breaks silence with lengthy statement following controversial AFCON comments

Through the posting of an explanation on X, Jamie Carragher has responded to the allegations that his remarks regarding Mo Salah and the Africa Cup of Nations were disrespectful.

Over the course of the post-match coverage that Sky Sports provided for Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City, the panel once again discussed Mohamed Salah and his efforts to win the Ballon d’Or after he scored a goal and assisted on another on the day.

In a response to Daniel Sturridge, Carragher stated: “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 not got a great chance of winning, I think it’s either the Champions League or the major tournament.”

On the other hand, Micah Richards became involved and stated, “It is important to note that the African Cup of Nations is a significant competition.” The reason for this is that a lot of people are sitting at home and saying, “They aren’t taking it seriously.” Just so you are aware, the African Cup of Nations is a very important tournament.

In response, Carragher asked Richards whether Egypt, a seven-time winner of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), would be a contender to win the World Cup. Richards, who had previously played for Manchester City, attempted to continue arguing his point.

However, Carragher’s comments and facial expression were widely criticised and deemed disrespectful by a number of individuals, including Richard Keys, who had previously worked as a presenter for Sky.

Following the reposting of a comment made by another user on his page, Carragher broke his silence by simultaneously posting a series of posts.

“The point I was trying to make yesterday was that MO Salah is at a disadvantage playing for Egypt in terms of him winning the Ballon d’Or,” Carragher wrote. “It is a fact that he doesn’t have a chance to win the award.”

“If Salah had an average season at Liverpool Football Club but won the African Cup of Nations and was the Most Valuable Player, I do not believe he would win the Ballon d’Or.

“I don’t believe that the African Cup of Nations carries the same weight as other tournaments.

However, even if Mbappe had a dismal season at Real Madrid but still managed to win the World Cup and the European Championship, he would still have a fantastic opportunity.

“I am aware that Mane finished in second place a few years ago after winning the tournament, but that success on its own would not have been enough to propel him to that position. The fact that Liverpool FC was only two games away from achieving a quadruple also played a significant role.

It’s not disrespectful if I think the World Cup, European Championships, and Confederations Cup are better tournaments; it’s just my opinion when I watch them. The statement that it was not a major competition was awkward, but I believe that the majority of those who were watching were able to comprehend the point that I was trying to make.

Carragher continued by saying, “The face I pulled when Micah interjected was nothing to do with the merits of the tournament, I just knew as soon as he did what the reaction was going to be!” Carragher was referring to the scoffing facial expression that he pulled. There are a lot of people who didn’t like what I said, and that’s alright with me.

“In general, I do not respond to things on this platform with posts like this one; however, I made the decision to tweet in the end after witnessing a large number of fakes jumping on the bandwagon and playing to the gallery when they were aware of what I meant. I wish you the best of luck, MO, you little dancer (emoji of fingers crossed).

Ferdinand is given a response by Carragher.
Carragher’s statement was referred to as a “ignorant thought process” by Rio Ferdinand, who also commented on his perspective.

On Instagram, the former Manchester United defender posted a video of his show and accompanying caption that read, “The African Cup of Nations requires more respect.” Federations need to do more to bring attention to this issue because it is important.

“Ask the likes of Mo Salah, Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Abedi Pele, Samuel Eto’o….”

On the other hand, Carragher took issue with Ferdinand’s statements and commented on his post, saying, “I didn’t say that you clown. However, this is not the first time that Carragher has done so.” If you are going to continue to play to the gallery, you should stop.

Despite reaching the finals of the African Cup of Nations in both 2017 and 2021, Salah has never been able to win the tournament.

An attacker who has previously played for Chelsea and Roma is currently having what many people consider to be the best season of his career. He has scored 30 goals and assisted on 21 others.