AFCON 2025
Jamie Carragher’s recent comments about AFCON not being a major tournament have sparked widespread debate and criticism.
Many players and ex-players have slammed his remarks, arguing that he had no basis for making such a claim.
Carragher, a no-nonsense defender in his time, who was famous for scoring 7 own goals, was criticised as not being anywhere near good enough to even speak on the African game.
Some of the comments have opened up an even wider topic. Just how good was Carragher?
In defense of the Liverpool man, former QPR midfielder Joey Barton has stated that there are no African defenders better than Carragher. Fans and pundits have slammed the controversial take. Some have even listed several defenders from the continent that have been among the best in the world.
After analysing the situation, here are five African defenders who surpass Carragher’s achievements.
Kolo Toure
Kolo Toure is a highly decorated Ivorian defender who had an illustrious career with Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool.
Toure won two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the AFCON trophy with Cote d’Ivoire in 2015.
Toure’s impressive trophy cabinet speaks for itself. He was known for his exceptional leadership, vision, and excellent reading of the game. Qualities that made him one of Africa’s greatest.
Joel Matip
Joel Matip is a Cameroonian defender who has been instrumental in Liverpool’s success in the glory year under Jurgen Klopp. Matip starred alongside Virgil van Dijk, delivering a UEFA Champions League title, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup, as well as the English Premier League in 2020.
Matip has proven himself to be a top-class defender. His exceptional reading of the game, and passing range, made him one of the best defenders during his time in England. Superlatives that were never bestowed on Carragher.
Kalidou Koulibaly
Kalidou Koulibaly had a spell where he was arguably the world’s finest center-back. The Senegalese defender was the most sought-after in his position for several years, before an ill-fated move to Chelsea.
The 34-year-old was named best defender in Serie A in 2019 and captained Senegal to AFCON glory in 2021, cementing himself as one of Africa’s greatest-ever defenders.
Rigobert Song
Rigobert Song is a Cameroonian defender who had an illustrious career with Liverpool, West Ham, and Cameroon. As Cameroon’s most capped player, Song won two African Cup of Nations titles and established himself as one of the greatest defenders in African football history.
His exceptional leadership, defensive skills, and vision made him a standout performer at the highest level and remains one of the most recognisable faces in AFCON history.
Sammy Kuffour
Sammy Kuffour is a Ghanaian defender who had an illustrious career at the heart of defence for Bayern Munich and Ghana. Kuffour has a case for being Africa’s finest-ever defensive export, and his trophy cabinet is stacked.
The Ghana legend won four Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokals, and a UEFA Champions League during his time in Germany.
He was known for his exceptional defensive skills, hard tackling, leadership, and vision, making him a legendary figure in African football.
