Tuesday, February 25, 2025 - Manchester United football icon, Rio Ferdinand has hit out at Liverpool icon, Jamie Carragher over his recent comments about the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, tournament.
Following
Liverpool’s Premier League 2-0 win at Manchester City in the Premier League on
Sunday, Carragher had dismissed the AFCON as a major tournament.
Egyptian
captain Mohamed Salah, continued his stunning form this season with a goal and
an assist for Dominik Szobozslai against City at the Etihad.
Speaking
on Sky Sports, Carragher suggested that Salah’s nationality and Egypt’s lack of
success in the World Cup could hinder the winger’s chances of winning the
Ballon d’Or this year.
Carragher
said: “I think the problem [is] the fact he is with Egypt, and he is probably
not playing in the major tournament [AFCON] as such or maybe got a great chance
of winning,”
The
comment has elicited uproar on social media, with African football ruling body,
CAF, rebuking the ex-player.
Reacting
in the latest episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents, Ferdinand branded his former
England team-mate ‘ignorant’.
“I think
that comment is representative of the majority of people out there. I don’t
think that’s right,” Ferdinand said.
“I think
that is an ignorant thought process because if you go to Didier Drogba, Abedi
Pele, Samuel Eto’o and down to the players now like Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed
Salah, Sadio Mane now, they will tell you: “We have to win this!”
“It’s a
demand in their countries to win this. Yes, it doesn’t get backed
resources-wise like a Euros etcetera, but that doesn’t mean that you have to
devalue it.
“It’s
continent of huge power and a continent that contributes to European football
through players immensely, massively.”
🎙Rio Ferdinand on Jamie Carragher condemning AFCON⤵️ pic.twitter.com/R200UXPS2T
— ÇELI BLAÜGRANÑÄ (@Celi_Blaugranna) February 24, 2025
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