Former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand has defended the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), countering Jamie Carragher's remarks which deemed it less significant in the context of football tournaments. Carragher's comments came after Mohamed Salah's impressive performance with Liverpool, suggesting that Salah's Ballon d'Or chances are affected by his participation with Egypt. Ferdinand argued that many prominent African players value AFCON highly, and such dismissive attitudes reflect a widespread misunderstanding. The exchange highlights ongoing debates in football regarding the valuation of different tournaments.
Carragher suggested Mohamed Salah's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or are hindered by not playing in a major tournament, referring to the importance of the Champions League.
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.
Ferdinand stated that Carragher's viewpoint reflects a common misunderstanding and is an ignorant thought process regarding the significance of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ferdinand emphasized that many African players are deeply committed to winning AFCON, countering the idea that it isn't a significant tournament.
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