Former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has hit out at former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher for downplaying the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), calling his remarks disrespectful to African football.
Speaking to AfricaSoccer, Adebayor did not hold back in his criticism, stating that Carragher was never among the world’s top defenders and had no right to belittle AFCON.
“These comments are a total disrespect not only to AFCON but also to all Africans,” he said.
He highlighted how the same narrative arises whenever AFCON approaches, with clubs hesitant to release players and critics trying to downplay the tournament’s significance.
“It’s always the same when AFCON comes around—clubs hesitate to release players, and critics try to downplay its importance. I played against world-class defenders in the Premier League; Carragher is not one of them.”
Carragher’s comments came during a Sky Sports debate on Mohamed Salah’s Ballon d’Or chances, where he suggested that AFCON does not carry the same prestige as the Euros or the World Cup.
Although he later attempted to clarify his remarks, backlash from the African football community has continued to grow.
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