Carragher is not intelligent. Don’t take anything he says seriously – Adebayor
Former Togolese international Emmanuel Adebayor, who is currently in Kenya, has hit back at Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher for his recent comments downplaying the importance of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The 41-year-old has hit out at Carragher for underestimating the importance of AFCON. Adebayor says the former Liverpool defender’s remarks about the quality of the AFCON not being a major tournament not only denigrates the biennial tournament but also undermines the quality of players from the African continent who play in Europe.
Carragher sparked controversy after suggesting that the AFCON tournament wasn’t as important as other continental competitions in terms of helping an African footballer win the Ballon d’Or. Caragher made the comments in reference to Egypt’s Mohammed Salah, (who is having a fantastic season) chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. His comments were widely criticized, with many branding them as disrespectful to African football.
Adebayor, never one to shy away from speaking his mind, joined the chorus of voices defending the tournament. The former Arsenal and Manchester City striker issued a fiery response.
“I spoke to my brothers Jay Jay Okocha, Didier Drogba, Obi, and all of them about this guy (Carragher). Look, some comments should be ignored. If someone is intelligent and makes such comments you might want to engage them but Caragher please…” said Adebayor who is currently in Nairobi for a watch party of the Arsenal vs. Manchester United match.
The 41-year-old added:
“Forget Carragher, don’t take anything he says seriously. If you look at his career, he hasn’t won anything. I mean I haven’t won anything either but I’m respected in Africa for my contribution to the sport, giving motivation and hope to African players, I’m not sure I’d say the same for him in Europe. I played in different teams to prove myself, but he didn’t. The only reason he played in the English Premier League is because he was born there, in Liverpool, played in Liverpool all his life, and still was not one of the main players. So ignore what he says, don’t take it to heart, let’s focus on making our African football better”.
Emmanuel, who has represented Togo in several AFCON tournaments and even captained the team, emphasized that the competition has great significance for both players and fans across the continent.