Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge were quick to correct Jamie Carragher after the Liverpool icon made an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) error in the Sky Sports studio following Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City. The Reds came a huge step closer to sealing their second Premier League title on Sunday with a strong performance at the Etihad Stadium, increasing their advantage over Arsenal to 11 points with 11 games remaining.
In an excellent first half, Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai both scored, with the Egyptian star scoring and assisting for the 11th time this season. That achievement matched a record previously held solely by Lionel Messi, making Salah the focus of post-game comments.
As the discourse concentrated on Salah, his future became an unavoidable topic. The 32-year-old has yet to sign a new contract at Anfield, and his current agreement is slated to expire in June, leaving him free to discuss a transfer elsewhere. Former Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge stated that Salah’s objective is to become “the best in the world,” but for Carragher, one specific impediment stood in his way – a notion that has since been challenged.
Jamie Carragher Criticised for AFCON Comment
The former Reds defender argued that AFCON is not as big as previous championships.
“I think the problem (is) the fact he’s with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in the major tournaments as such, or maybe got a great chance of winning, I think it’s either the Champions League or the major tournament,” Carragher said regarding Salah’s prospects for the Ballon However, Carragher swiftly came under fire on social media for failing to include the Africa Cup of Nations as a’major tournament’.
Salah has never won the African continental title, but he has twice finished second, in 2017 and 2021. Furthermore, the Pharaohs are the most successful team in the competition’s history, having won seven titles, and will have the opportunity to win their eighth at the end of 2025. In response to Carragher’s remarks, Sturridge and Richards were eager to defend the competition.
“Just to clarify, AFCON is a major tournament because many people at home are saying, ‘They aren’t taking it seriously.'” AFCON is a significant competition, just so you know,” Richards added, before Sturridge butted in (see the complete discussion here).
“This is a fact. This is a fact. This is a fact. Winning the Euros or Copa America is considered significant, therefore the AFCON is comparable.
Jamie Carragher arguing that Salah being from Egypt 🇪🇬 therefore not able to win a major competition may stop him from winning ballon d’or. @MicahRichards correctly points out AFCON is a major competition. @Carra23 scoffs and says ‘seriously’.
Incredibly disappointing.— Leo Haider (@leohaider7) February 23, 2025
The conversation immediately gained traction online. “I’m happy Micah and Sturridge emphasised the importance of AFCON there. “Carragher should be ashamed of that comment,” one X (Twitter) user wrote. “They have no right to discredit an African competition there, it’s disgustingly hard to win and football legends have struggled there.” Meanwhile, another person said, “Big up Micah.” Daniel Sturridge deserves praise as well. I admire them for speaking up and preventing the problem from spreading. AFCON deserves to be respected, and they did their part by declaring so, despite their co-host’s blasé attitude.”
Very glad Micah and D Sturridge pointed out the importance of AFCON there. They have no right to discredit an African competition there, it’s disgustingly hard to win and football legends have struggled there. @Carra23 should be ashamed of that comment.
— Ka’ (@kamanityrese) February 23, 2025
Salah’s enormous qualities, however, were unquestionable. The winger currently has 30 goals and 21 assists in 38 games across all competitions. With Liverpool in the League Cup final against Newcastle next month, among the favourites for the Champions League alongside Real Madrid, and a Premier League runaway, he has every right to be a contender for the Ballon d’Or in October.
