Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher has suggested that the Africa Cup of Nations is not a big tournament, with his statements drawing pushback from fellow colleagues.
Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge were quick to challenge Carragher after the comment he made regarding the continental competition after Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday.
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The Reds have now stretched lead over Arsenal to 11 points with 11 games remaining, following a dominant performance against the Citizens.
Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai found the back of the net in a brilliant first half, with the Egyptian talisman scoring and assisting in the same match for the 11th time this season.
During the post-match discussions, the retired centre-back commented on the former Chelsea's star desire to be the best in the world, but highlighted an aspect that may withhold him from achieving that goal.
"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," Carragher said on Sky Sports per the Daily Mail.
Richards and Sturridge swiftly corrected Carragher, with Richards stating: "Just to say, AFCON is a major tournament because a lot of people are at home saying 'they aren't taking it seriously'. AFCON is a big tournament, just so you know."
Carragher then questioned whether Egypt would be contenders for the next World Cup, to which Richards replied: "No, but AFCON is big, isn't it? You remember when him and Mane were going for it and..."
Carragher dismissively responded, "Oh God," before Sturridge interjected to put an end to the debate: "It's a fact. It's a fact. It's a fact. If you win the Euros or Copa America it's deemed to be big, so AFCON is on the same level."
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So far this season, Salah has netted 30 goals and provided 21 assists in 38 games across all competitions, and is at the forefront as the Reds compete on various fronts - the Premier League, Champions League, and the Carabao Cup.