A Nigerian journalist, Olamide Abe, has weighed in on the debate sparked by Jamie Carragher’s comment that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is not a major tournament.
Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher, has dismissed the AFCON as major tournament.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher suggested that Salah’s nationality and Egypt’s lack of success on the global stage could hinder the player’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or this year.
He said: “I think the problem [is] the fact he’s with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in the major tournament as such or maybe got a great chance of winning.
“I think it’s either the Champions League or the major tournament.
Abe has corroborated Carragher’s statement, citing the lack of recognition AFCON winners receive in the Ballon d’Or conversation.
He said, “AFCON is a major tournament. That is not up for debate. But in the context of the Ballon d’Or conversation, Carragher is not wrong.
“Both CAF and France Football has never rated AFCON performances in its 67 years of existence, it is minor.
“Carragher’s bias against Salah is clear, but that does not change the fact that his argument reflects how the Ballon d’Or is structured. The award has always been Eurocentric, and African players rarely get fair recognition unless they dominate European competitions.
“Salah has had a better season than Vini and Mbappé so far. Dismissing his chances by saying he is Egyptian and will not win a major national honour is misleading, especially when no international tournament is under review for 2025.
“If there were, then Carragher would have a valid point. The reality is that no player has ever made the Ballon d’Or podium solely because of AFCON. Since its inception, the award has never prioritised African international success.
“France Football does not take AFCON seriously. That is a fact. Their voting pattern proves this. Even on the continent, AFCON is often undervalued when it comes to individual recognition, which exposes the double standards in our arguments.
“We want to argue that an AFCON winner should be a Ballon d’Or contender, yet AFCON winners themselves struggle to win CAF African Footballer of the Year. That contradiction alone weakens the argument that AFCON should be a major factor in Ballon d’Or voting.
“Since the CAF African Footballer of the Year award started in 1992, it has been awarded 17 times in an AFCON year but only three AFCON winners have won it. Emmanuel Amunike in 1994, Patrick M’Boma in 2000, and Sadio Mané in 2022.
“If an AFCON-winning team does not have a deserving Ballon d’Or candidate, what about the tournament’s MVP? Should an MVP not at least be in contention? The historical data proves otherwise.
“Abedi Pele won the first-ever CAF POTY award in 1992 after being named AFCON MVP. However, after that, no MVP winner won the award until Mané in 2022. In 14 AFCON editions, only two MVPs even made the podium.
“In total, 13 of the last 17 AFCON MVP winners, including Ekong in 2024, did not make the top three for CAF POTY. If CAF voters do not consider AFCON MVPs worthy of winning Africa’s own award, why should Ballon d’Or voters think differently?
“Egypt won three consecutive AFCONs in 2006, 2008, and 2010. Ahmed Hassan won MVP twice, and Hosny Abd Rabo won once, but neither made the CAF POTY shortlist. Instead, Drogba, Adebayor, and Eto’o won based on European club success.
“Even players without any club trophies or major individual honours in Europe have been picked over AFCON MVPs. Clubs like Dortmund, Deportivo La Coruña, and Arsenal have had players win over African-based players dominating AFCON.
“If winning AFCON and being named MVP is not enough to win CAF POTY, why should we be outraged when someone says it is not enough to win the Ballon d’Or? We cannot demand respect internationally when we do not show it ourselves.
“AFCON is a prestigious tournament. It is at the same level as the Euros and Copa América in terms of continental importance. However, in the context of the Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best awards, it has never been treated as a major tournament.
“The current Ballon d’Or holder won primarily because of the Euros. Since the Euro MVP award was introduced in 1984, a Euro winner or MVP has made the Ballon d’Or podium every time except in 1992 and 2004.
“From 2011 to 2023, UEFA’s Best Player award was introduced, and every Euro winner in a Euro year won it. Iniesta, Cristiano, and Jorginho are clear examples of how European success directly impacts awards.
“When African players do not win, we call it racism. We say, “Europeans are biased,” “they do not vote for blacks,” “they do not rate AFCON.” But what about our own awards? Do we rate AFCON highly in our voting?
“CAF itself does not prioritise AFCON achievements in its own awards. Even when an AFCON player is nominated, CAF panelists, which include technical committees, coaches, players, and journalists, consistently favour European-based achievements over AFCON success.
“We attack foreigners who say AFCON is not a major factor in the Ballon d’Or race, but our own system reflects the same reality. If we want change, it must start from within before we expect global recognition,” he said.
Abe pointed out the disparity in recognition between AFCON and European tournaments, citing the example of Rodri, who won the MVP award at the Euros and went on to win the Ballon d’Or, whereas William Ekong, who won the MVP award at AFCON, was not even considered for the award.
“Ekong won MVP of AFCON and was nowhere to be found. Fact, Okay, Ekong aside, 15 out of 17 AFCON MVP have never won CAF POTY. In fact, 13 of the 17 never made the podium that year. 10 were not even in the final nomination list. How can such a tournament be a major tournament for Ballon d’Or?,” he said.
Abe argued that while AFCON may be considered a major tournament on paper, its value and prestige are far lower than those of European tournaments.
“Baba, on paper and hierarchy, yes. In reality, no, CAF Champions League and UEFA Champions League are on the same ranking bar on paper, but the value and prestige are far apart. EPL and NPFL are both national leagues, are they of the same value? Burkina Faso FA Cup holds the same prestige as English FA or DFB Pokal?,” he concluded.
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