Former English footballer Joey Barton has sparked controversy with his recent statement about African footballers saying Africa is yet to produce a defender better than Jamie Carragher.
His comment comes in response to Carragher’s earlier remarks, where the former Liverpool defender downplayed the significance of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), calling it “not a major tournament.”
Africa has never produced a better defender than Jamie Carragher, can anybody name a better African defender than Jamie Carragher? Kolo Toure was never better than Jamie Carragher. He said.
It’s a great continent that has produced phenomenal talent and deserves to be taken seriously as a major tournament, but you can’t name one defender who was better than Carragher. He added.
Carragher’s statement had already ignited backlash from football fans and pundits who view AFCON as one of the most competitive international tournaments. Barton’s latest remarks have only added fuel to the debate, drawing criticism for dismissing the achievements of legendary African defenders.
Many fans and football figures have pointed to African greats like Samuel Kuffour, Kalidou Koulibaly, Rigobert Song, and Kolo Touré, who have excelled at the highest level of club and international football.