AFCON winner slams Jamie Carragher’s comment dismissing it as ‘not a major tournament’ with brutal swipe

A former Africa Cup of Nations winner has slammed Jamie Carragher‘s comments over the tournament in a pointed response to the former Liverpool defender. 

Carragher, 47, landed in himself in hot water after appearing to dismiss the notion that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is a major tournament. 

Speaking on Sky Sports after Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday, the ex-Reds centre-back felt that Mohamed Salah playing in AFCON counted against his case to be the best player in the world. 

Carragher 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, I think it’s either the Champions League or the major tournament.

Salah, 32, has never lifted the African continental title, but has twice on two occasions, doing so in 2017 and 2021.

Now, a former tournament winner has waded in on the controversy by saying that Carragher ‘doesn’t know what a major tournament is because he never won one’. 

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Ahmed Elmohamady was the latest individual to take exception to the former Liverpool defender’s remarks

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Ahmed Elmohamady was the latest individual to take exception to Carragher’s remarks. 

He said: ‘Jamie Carragher doesn’t know what [a] major tournament is because he never won one. AFCON is a major tournament. So proud to won it twice.’ 

Elmohady, a compatriot of Salah, was part of the Egypt side that won the tournament in both 2008 and 2010 and made 92 appearances for his country between 2007 and 2019. 

The Pharaohs are the most successful team in the competition’s history with an impressive seven titles and will have a chance to win the competition for an eighth time at the end of 2025. 

Elmohamady’s comments come after after Carragher was also labelled as ‘unforgivably ignorant’ by former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys for downplaying the significance of the tournament.

Writing in his blog post, Keys, 67, did not expilicitly mention Carragher but made clear reference to the debate surrounding his comments. 

Keys wrote: ‘Never mind the PL’s best ever – Mo Salah might just be Liverpool’s best ever – despite the fact he’s never played in a big tournament. Seriously. What ignorance. Unforgivable ignorance’. 

Elmohamady’s comments come after after Carragher was also labelled as ‘unforgivably ignorant’ by former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys

‘Time and again down the years I’ve referenced the arrogance of so-called experts that live and work within the borders of the UK who think nothing beyond their territory matters.

‘It’s why our WC here in Qatar was dismissed by so many of them – despite it going on to be the best ever – climaxing with the best games of football I’ve ever seen. ‘‘Qatar?’’, they asked. ‘‘Not England? Why? How could that happen?’’

‘I’m slightly off course, so let me correct that. In a stat-based world, here’s one to think about. In Egypt alone, we at beINSPORTS probably had in excess of 100m people watching the showdown of the Egyptian Kings on Sunday. And that number doesn’t take into account the 22 other nations in our territory.

‘Yeah. Egypt, who’re the most successful team in AFCON history, having won it seven times. Salah hasn’t won it yet – but he gets another chance towards the end of the year. Still – it’s not one of the big tournaments is it? It’s not played in England – or Europe, so it can’t be.’