Ex-Super Eagles Captain Mikel Obi Hits Back at Jamie Carragher’s AFCON Disrespect.
Former Chelsea and Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, didn’t hold back when reacting to Jamie Carragher’s disrespectful comments about the Africa Cup of Nations. Speaking to Carragher on a podcast, Mikel told him to “f*** off” after the pundit downplayed the significance of the tournament.
Carragher had stirred controversy with his remarks about the Africa Cup of Nations, calling it “not a major tournament” while discussing Mohamed Salah’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or this year.
During a post-match chat on Sky Sports following Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday, Carragher seemed to imply that Salah’s Egyptian nationality and the country’s international record would hurt his chances of winning football’s top individual honor.
Carragher said, “I think the problem is that he’s with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in a major tournament, or maybe hasn’t got a great chance of winning.”
He continued, “I think it’s either the Champions League or a major tournament. Usually, the player who stands out in those, like Vini Jr. and (Kylian) Mbappé right now, would be favorites.”
Carragher’s comments immediately drew backlash, including from former Manchester City defender Micah Richards, who made it clear that the Africa Cup of Nations is indeed a prestigious tournament. “AFCON is a major tournament,” Richards pointed out, correcting Carragher’s dismissive tone.
On The Obi One Podcast, Mikel fired back, saying, “It’s so disrespectful what he said, especially coming from someone who never won anything major with England.”
Mikel didn’t mince words, criticizing Carragher for his ignorance. “His statement was absolutely wrong, and I hope he comes out and gives a big apology because he owes people around the world an apology. It was ignorant to disrespect such a beautiful tournament.”
Mikel also hit out at Carragher’s arrogance. “If you think the Premier League would be what it is today with just English players, you’re having a laugh. The guy had this arrogant smirk on his face, dismissing the tournament that means so much to so many people. People were trying to correct him, but he kept attacking everyone else, disrespecting the AFCON.”
Mikel didn’t stop there, expressing his frustration at Carragher’s criticism of African football. “The guy has said so many things on TV. He never won the Premier League, but he’s out there analyzing teams, telling them how to win it. You’ve never won it yourself! You don’t know what it takes. How can you disrespect a tournament that people in Africa literally live for?”
The former Super Eagles captain made it clear that Carragher’s lack of major international trophies with England doesn’t give him the right to downplay the AFCON. “If you won the Euros or a major tournament with England, maybe I’d get it, but you didn’t win anything. And now you’re trying to discredit the tournament I won, the one I bled and cried for?”
During his career, Mikel helped Nigeria win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and was a runner-up twice. His passion for the tournament, and African football as a whole, was clear in his powerful words.
