FORMER Super Eagles captain Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has hit back at football pundit Jamie Carragher for disrespecting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and claiming it is not a major tournament.
Carragher has been at the receiving end of relentless backlash since suggesting that Mohamed Salah’s Ballon d’Or chances were limited because the Liverpool forward plays for Egypt.
In spite of pushback from his fellow pundits on Sky Sports Daniel Sturridge and Micah Richards, Carragher held his ground while they were analysing Liverpool’s 2-0 English Premier League win over Manchester City last weekend.
Carragher, a former England and Liverpool defender, said: “I think the problem is the fact he’s with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in the major tournament as such or maybe got a great chance of winning.”
Okocha, who starred as the Super Eagles won the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia, poked fun of Carragher as the Nigeria legend defended the honour of his continent’s biggest football competition.
“There are some players that will say something; you just overlook it,” former Eintracht Frankfurt, Paris St-Germain and Bolton midfielder Okocha said at an event.
“If you look at their careers, if you look at the type of football that they played, you can understand.
“I mean, you wouldn’t want your son to be like Carragher. So, he can never appreciate African football or the talents that come from Africa.”
Another former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi, as well as Senegalese great El-Hadji Diouf, who played with Carragher at Liverpool, and former England defender Rio Ferdinand have all condemned Carragher’s statements.
