If Liverpool want to erode the fan base they’ve built over the years in Africa, first on the back of glorious European Championship winning years under Bill Paisley and Bob Shankly in the 1970’s and 1980’s and in recent years under Rafael Benitez and Jurgen Klopp, then they are doing quite a wonderful job at it.
Through the brilliance of Steven Gerrard and that magical 2005 UEFA Champions League title win and Klopp turning around The Reds to become the biggest threat to Manchester City’s dominance under Pep Guardiola, Liverpool FC have endeared themselves to the African continent’s frenetic football fan base.
That love was deepened through the pivotal roles Egypt’s Mohammed Salah and Senegal’s Sadio Mane played for Klopp to end the club’s 30 year league title drought and bag the Reds sixth Champions League title.
However, Klopp touched the nerve of Africa by belittling the continent’s football tournament, the AFCON, by calling it a “little tournament” back in 2021. Clearly Klopp spoke in jest while addressing Mo Salah’s involvement in the tournament that ruled him out of competing for Liverpool but many a great personality has fallen prey to just speaking in jest.
As great as Michael Jordan is, there is a part of the Black Community in the United States of America that doesn’t embrace him wholly since making his infamous “Republicans buy sneakers too” quote in jest makes up his general stay away from dabbling in politics often race-laced ones.
Jurgen Klopp is undoubtedly a Liverpool legend and in the midst of a brilliant, maybe a career year for Mohammed Salah, another Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher hasn’t endeared himself to Africa by taking a dig at the competition stating that the AFCON isn’t a major tournament.
The former Liverpool centre back made the statement while comparing the AFCON to the Copa America and the Euros while discussing Salah’s chances of winning the Balon D’Or as the Egyptian winger continues to excel in the 2024-2025 season.
Many fans, coaches and former players have shared their thoughts criticizing the controversial take and Carragher has shed more light on his statement. As controversial as it sounded, Carragher was right about the AFCON as he made his argument not just in isolation but in comparison to the Copa America and the Euros and this is where most people who disagree with Carragher are wrong.
Salah is enjoying a super season just as Brazil winger Raphinha at FC Barcelona and both players are on course to win at least a league title in their respective jurisdiction. The present campaign is without the Euros, the AFCON and Copa America so the league campaigns and UEFA Champions League campaign would be pivotal in determining who wins the Ballon D’or.
However, hypothetically speaking, should Salah win the AFCON with Egypt on the back of this brilliant season and Raphinha win the Copa America on the back of his brilliant season, would Salah get the nod ahead of the Barcelona winger?
The answer is obviously no even though the EPL is generally viewed as a better league than the Spanish league. The simple reason Raphinha seemingly gets the edge over Salah for the Ballon D’Or is down to the higher regard of the Copa over the AFCON and that is down to these reasons.
AFRICAN PLAYERS HAVE BELITTLED THE AFCON
For multiple decades, African players competing in Europe have had their commitment to their countries and the AFCON in general consistently questioned all thanks to their lackadaisical attitude to the tournament. African players haven’t hesitated to quickly get whisked away to their European clubs as soon as their AFCON campaign end; Salah, Sadio Mane and a bevy of Black Stars players are culprits.
Yes, it is true that placing the AFCON in the middle of the major European leagues season is a problem but South American players have shown time and time again that should they be placed in the same position, they wouldn’t hesitate to pick their countries over their clubs.
The Asian Cup is also played in January and February in the middle of campaigns in the major leagues in Europe but Son Heung-Min and other Asian stars have little to no problem staring for their nations at the expense of their clubs in this period.
Honestly, if the AFCON was really taken seriously by African players, Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana wouldn’t wait till the last moment before leaving England to join Cameroon for the 2023 AFCON. For the record, Onana missed Cameroon’s opening game against Guinea.
Ghana has had its challenges with the likes of Tony Yeboah in the past so if the main actors don’t really regard the AFCON particularly through their actions, why would others regard it.
CAF HAVE DONE THEIR FAIR SHARE OF BELITTLING THE AFCON
African players have done their part belittling of the AFCON just as much as the Africa’s football governing body (CAF). In its veiled attempts to place the tournament in the off season to address concerns over the January-February slot for the AFCON, CAF has hurt the level of importance attached to the tournament.
From moving the competition host times from even to odd years to contemplating about changing the host periods of the AFCON from two to three years to the upcoming AFCON coming off in December of all months.
The constant chopping and changing of everything connected to the tournament and most importantly, the rationale behind the changes (as many deem it as moves to please some “higher” bodies or individuals) have led to the AFCON taking a hit in reputation.
FOOTBALL FEDERATIONS ARE IN ON THE AFCON ACT TOO
CAF is made up of national football federations on the African continent and while the continental body has played a major part in hurting the credibility of the AFCON in the grand scheme, the federations have placed more premium on mere participation in the World Cup over winning the AFCON.
For instance, Ghana’s Football Association planned a trip to South Africa for the Black Stars during the country’s winter period ahead of an AFCON campaign in hot and muggy in Cote D’Ivoire before mass pressure forced them to abandon the idea and camp in similar conditions in Ghana. However, the approach to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and other World Cups Ghana has competed in has completely been different and delivered with the utmost professionalism.
So don’t blame Jamie Carragher’s take on the AFCON, decades of self-inflicted harm by the major players of the AFCON have done the damage already. Instead of blasting the Liverpool legend, it is imperative such energy gets directed to back the improving profile of the AFCON in recent years.
