‘You won’t want a son like him’ — Okocha hits Carragher over AFCON criticism

Jay Jay Okocha, former Super Eagles captain, has lambasted Jamie Carragher over his claim that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is not at par with other international football competitions. 

Carragher, former Liverpool defender turned TV football analyst, has been in the crosshair of fierce criticism after saying AFCON is not a major tournament.

The former England international said the competition will not help Mohammed Salah’s quest to become a frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or this year.

“I think the problem [with him being recognised as a frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or] is that he’s with Egypt and probably not playing in a major tournament or has a great chance of winning,” The SkySports pundit had said.

Carragher’s comment has continued to generate pushback from fans on social media and ex-footballers, including Rio Ferdinand and Mikel Obi.

Adding his voice to the debate, Okocha said Carragher is not technically equipped to appreciate the quality of AFCON.

The former Bolton midfielder spoke in a video going viral across social media on Friday.

He queried if anyone would want a son who played football the way Carragher played during his professional career.

“There are some players that will say something, you just overlook it. If you look at their career, if you look at the type of football that they played, you can understand.

“You wouldn’t want your son to be like Carragher. So, he can never appreciate African football or the talents that come from Africa.”

In 2021, Jurgen Klopp, former Liverpool manager, also came under fire for dismissing AFCON as “a little tournament”.