The SkySports studio was usually glittering and filled with former professional footballers who reached the upper echelon of world football in their heydays.
Roy Keane, Daniel Sturridge, Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher were analysing Mohammed Salah’s incredible season and his chances of winning the Balon d’Or, and Carragher took advantage and silly attacked the Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday afternoon was a huge statement for their quest for their 20th league title.
Expectedly, Egyptian king Mohammed Salah stole the attention after putting the Reds ahead in the 15th minute and later assisted Dominic Szoboszlai to double Liverpool’s lead in the 37th minute.
It was Salah’s 50th game involvement of the season. He has scored 25 goals and assisted 16 times in the EPL alone. The numbers are staggering. He is simply the best player in the world now.
What exactly happened?
Jamie Carragher, after the match, disrespectfully implied that the AFCON isn’t a major football tournament, so Salah must win the UCL to be the main contender. Also.
“Salah may not win the Ballon d’Or if he doesn’t win a major tournament,” Carragher said.
Micah Richards and Sturridge quickly said the AFCON is a major tournament, and then Carragher scoffed which indirectly rated the AFCON as not a major tournament.
Dear Jamie Carragher, why is your world only centred on Europe? Is Europe the only place beautiful things in football happen?
Your comments about the Africa Cup of Nations are so disrespectful, and such words should not come from someone who is a broadcaster for SkySports and a football writer for the Telegraph Newspaper.
Let’s cast our minds back to the year 2024, the year was laden with major international competitions worldwide. The AFCON commenced the fruitful year with Ivory Coast lifting the ultimate. The competition caught the attention of the world because almost all the big clubs had players in the tournament.
There was a major debate between the AFCON 2023 and the Euro 24, as well as the COPA America 2024, about which of the three was more exciting and competitive. It was so clear that the AFCON was.
To say that the AFCON is not a major tournament is pure naivety. A former footballer who has followed the game all his life should at least know that FIFA ranks all the continental competitions as a major competition.
The truth is that Carragher can not be blamed entirely because the continent has abandoned its football and is now following European football.
90% of Journalists across the African continent are only interested in talking about European football and it is the main reason why it will be so difficult for some European journalists and coaches to recognise our game.
AFCON 2025 is just around the corner, and Carragher will see how major the AFCON is as a tournament.
Mohammed Salah should be backed by Africans, especially the journalists, in his quest to become the second Balon d’Or winner since Oppong Weah of Liberia won it in 1996.
Mohammed Salah so far ticks all the boxes, and Carragher’s comments are so disrespectful to Salah, Liverpool, Egypt, Africa and football in toto.
