ON SPORTS NEWS
Nigerian football legend Jay Jay Okocha has criticized Jamie Carragher’s comments downplaying the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), saying no father would want his son to have a career like the former Liverpool defender.
Carragher sparked controversy by suggesting Mohamed Salah is disadvantaged in the Ballon d’Or race because AFCON is not considered a “major” international tournament like the World Cup, Euros, or Copa America.
Okocha, speaking in an interview, dismissed Carragher’s take, stating, “There are some players that will say something; you just overlook it adding that no one would want their son to be like Carragher.”
Similarly, John Obi Mikel, a 2013 AFCON winner with Nigeria, condemned the remarks on his Obi One Podcast, calling them “disrespectful.” He added, that the AFCON is as big as the Euros and It’s not in his place to discredit it.”
In response to the backlash, Carragher defended his stance on X (formerly Twitter), claiming he was only pointing out that AFCON does not hold the same global prestige in Ballon d’Or rankings as other continental tournaments.
0
0
