Amaju Pinnick, the former president of the Nigerian Football Federation, has responded to Jamie Carragher following the pundit’s degrading comments about the importance of the AFCON tournament.
Last week, Carragher made a condescending statement about AFCON, which has led to a lot of reactions on social media.
The pundit expressed his concern that Egypt's lack of participation in a major tournament may have hampered Mo Salah's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or.
Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge countered the 2005 UEFA Champions League winner by stating that the AFCON tournament includes Egypt, making it a major tournament comparable to the Euros and Copa America competitions.
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22:55 - 04.03.2025
‘I got it wrong’ — Carragher backtracks over AFCON comments, maintains Ballon d’Or does not respect tournament
After coming under fire for his recent comments, Jamier Carragher admitted his mistakes while still maintaining his point about the AFCON
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12:58 - 02.03.2025
‘I'm proud to be an AFCON winner’ - Super Eagles legend Emenike hits back at Carragher
Former Super Eagles star Emmanuel Emenike has responded to Jamie Carragher following his derogatory comment on the Africa Cup of Nations.
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Pinnick hits back at Carragher
Former Nigerian international football players, including John Mikel Obi, Emmanuel Emenike, and Jay-Jay Okocha, along with Amaju Pinnick, have criticised Carragher for his obstinate remarks.
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Speaking with SuperSport’s Soccer Africa in quotes revealed by Zambian Observer, “I think it is a very myopic opinion, and you can see the wave of attack because the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is growing beyond the imagination of so many people, and he might be talking subjectively.”
“When George Weah, in 1995, won the Ballon d’Or, Liberia were nowhere close to the AFCON.
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He won the award due to his performance when he was with AC Milan, and you look at what Mohamed Salah has done this season. That is super iconic.”
Salah has had an outstanding season, contributing significantly to Liverpool's success with an impressive 30 goals and 22 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.
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Meanwhile, Arne Slot's team has built a commanding lead in the Premier League and, given their current form, is poised to secure the title soon.