“Make a massive apology” — John Obi Mikel demands Carragher apologize over AFCON comment

By Monsurah Olatunji

Former Nigerian captain Mikel John Obi has demanded a “massive apology” from Jamie Carragher following the latter’s controversial comments dismissing the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as a “non-major tournament.”

Carragher’s remarks, made during a discussion about Mohamed Salah’s form and his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, suggested that the Egyptian’s failure to play in major international tournaments like the World Cup or European Championship hindered his prospects of winning the prestigious individual award.

The comments, which downplayed the significance of AFCON, sparked outrage among former African players, with Mikel leading the charge.

Mikel, who represented Nigeria in five AFCON tournaments and won the competition in 2013, took to his Obi One Podcast to voice his displeasure with Carragher’s dismissal of Africa’s flagship football tournament.

“I hope he will come out and make a massive apology because he owes people around the world an apology,” Mikel said. “His statement was absolutely wrong. It was ignorant to disrespect such a wonderful tournament.”

He went on to criticize Carragher’s credentials, pointing out that the former Liverpool defender had never won a major international tournament with England, despite a lengthy career in the Premier League.

“It’s so disrespectful what he said, and this is coming from someone who never won any major international competition with England,” Mikel added.

Carragher’s comments had come after Salah helped Liverpool secure a 2-0 win over Manchester City, continuing his stellar form for the Reds.

Salah, who has scored 25 goals and provided 16 assists in the Premier League this season, has long been a contender for the Ballon d’Or but has never placed higher than sixth in the voting.

While Mikel’s demands for an apology continue to draw attention, Carragher has yet to respond directly to the criticism. However, the debate has reignited discussions around the recognition of AFCON and African football’s contribution to the global stage.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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