Former English midfielder Joey Barton has recently entered the ongoing debate surrounding Jamie Carragher's comments about African football.

During an appearance on the Common Sense Podcast, Barton claimed that Africa has never produced a defender superior to former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher.

Barton stated,

Can anybody out there, as much as all the Afrikanos, have had a pop at Carragher for saying what he said? There's no better defender to come from Africa than Jamie Carragher.

These remarks were made in defence of Carragher, who faced significant backlash after dismissing the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as "not a major tournament."

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What Carragher said

Carragher's original comments were made during a post-match analysis on Sky Sports following Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Manchester City on February 23, 2025.

He argued that Mohamed Salah's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or were diminished due to Egypt's inability to secure a major international trophy.

Carragher compared Salah's situation to that of Real Madrid stars Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr., suggesting that their participation in tournaments like the UEFA European Championship (EURO) and the Copa América gave them a stronger case for the prestigious award.

Carragher said,

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I think the problem is that he [Salah] is with Egypt, and he's probably not playing in a major tournament, or maybe doesn't have a great chance of winning.

I think it's either the Champions League or a major tournament. Normally, the player who excels in that, like Vinícius and Mbappé now, is Madrid, really good for the Champions League. Liverpool will be in that conversation, but right now, Los Blancos are certainly the front-runners.

These comments were immediately criticised by fellow pundits, including Daniel Sturridge and Micah Richards. Richards defended AFCON, emphasising its importance in the global football landscape.

He responded,

Just to say, AFCON is a major tournament. A lot of people are saying they aren't taking it seriously, but AFCON is a big tournament.

Barton's additional claim that Africa has never produced a defender better than Carragher has further fuelled the controversy.

This statement overlooks the contributions of numerous African defenders who have excelled at the highest levels of football, both domestically and internationally.

Players like Samuel Kuffour, Lucas Radebe, and Nwankwo Kanu, among others, have left indelible marks on the sport, challenging the notion that African defenders have not reached the calibre of Carragher.