Former England midfielder Joey Barton
Former England midfielder Joey Barton has doubled down on his denigration of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and African football, with his latest claim being that the continent has not produced a defender in the class of former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
Barton, who backed Carragher on his claim that AFCON is not a major tournament, has hit back at his critics, stating that Jamie Carragher was a superior talent to any defender that has come out of the African continent.
He noted that while Africa might have produced some of the best footballers in the history of the game, the continent has not churned out a defender who could lace Carragher’s boots.
“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 Carragher.
“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 me one defender who was better than Carragher,” he said.
His comments have triggered Africans on social media, who accuse him of speaking with racist and ignorant biases.
They hold that Joey Barton has a reputation for being controversial and that his latest statement is one of his usual bizarre comments.
Others hold that Joey Barton, who played for Newcastle and Manchester and was accused of domestic violence, is a nonentity whose statements should be treated with the contempt they deserve.
“Africa has never produced a better defender than Jamie Carragher”
– Joey Barton
pic.twitter.com/8f7IKGoGW2— All Around Nigeria 🌍🇳🇬 (@AllAroundNGR) March 6, 2025
Ebi you people go elevate Joey Barton ein nonsense and argue about am all day.
— Yaw (@theyawofosu) March 6, 2025
Stop giving Joey Barton a platform. No one cares what he thinks.
— kwadwo (@Kwadwo_Hemeng) March 6, 2025
Joey Barton nu, w’abodam! https://t.co/2G7ai100M4
— Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo (@Fentuo_) March 6, 2025
Joey Barton, we all know what you are doing. There are better African defenders than Jamie carragher. They had pace, technical ability & flair in their day. They may not have played in the premier league but don’t take away from their attributes and accolades to make your point.
— ✨👑 DaddyMO👑✨🏁 (@therealdaddymo1) March 6, 2025
Meanwhile, watch the latest edition of Sports Check with the owner of Spintex Knights, Dr Opoku-Antwi below:
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