Ian Wright was wrong to describe the commentary around the African Cup of Nations as disrespectful and “tinged with racism” — according to a two-time winner of the continental competition.
Joseph Ndo picked up winners’ medals in 2000 and 2002 with this year’s tournament hosts Cameroon.
The 21-time capped midfielder, who finished his playing career with Sligo Rovers, believes it’s up to CAF (Confederation of African Football) to move the tournament so that players aren’t forced to miss vital league matches.
Clubs across Europe will be hit with the losses of players over the coming weeks, with the tournament scheduled to run from next Sunday to February 6.
Ndo told the Irish Daily Star : “You have a lot of European clubs who complain because they never like the African Cup.
“I understand because it’s simply because their players have to go at least for two weeks and for them it’s not good, because they are going to struggle a little bit.
Happy
“So if you can lose as early as possible and go back to your club, the club is going to be happy.
“To be fair, I don’t see that as disrespectful. Everyone is free to say what they want.
“The manager’s opinion is based on one thing — with those guys out, we lose the league. It has nothing to do with the African Cup, it has to do with the calendar.
“He says, ‘Why does the African Cup have to be played when we play our league?’ And I think that’s a fair question.
“If someone says something about the African Cup or African players, it doesn’t bother me.”
Asked about Arsenal legend Wright’s comments, he replied: “If I was in a club, do you think I am going to let my player go easy?
“No, I am not going to do that. Especially when you know that for a certain club it is very difficult.
“People have to understand the comments and where they come from. But everything now is about race. That’s why racism will never go away.
“We don’t really put an effort into it and then someone says something about the African Cup, and because it’s Africa we say, ‘Oh, they disrespect our competition’.”
Legend
Ndo became a League of Ireland legend when he won league titles with Shelbourne, Bohemians and Sligo Rovers, as well as three FAI Cups with Sligo.
Prior to his arrival on these shores, he played in China, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, France and his home country.
He was with French club Strasbourg in 2000, when he won his first African Cup of Nations title.
His club boss Claude Le Roy had previously managed Cameroon at the 1998 World Cup, when Ndo played in all three group games, and he was able to compromise over the release of players for the 2000 Cup of Nations.
“We never had any problems. Strasbourg always tried to stretch it all the time. Sometimes they asked for three more days.
“Most of the time you were going into the camp a little later than the other players.
“But also, they got a few more days because the manager of Strasbourg used to be the manager of the national team. So he knew who to call!”
Jurgen Klopp created a stir recently when he called the African Cup of Nations a “little tournament”.
But with stars such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita set to miss several key weeks of Premier League action, Ndo understands his frustration.
“Let’s talk about Liverpool, Klopp is pretty sure that one of his players will go all the way to the final,” he said.
“So even with the other two coming back, he still has one player who is out.
“Then you have Chelsea, you have [Edouard] Mendy who is going to be out, what do you think they will wish for Mendy? Oh, win the final? No, they need him.
“The focus should be on the African Confederation to find a solution in the calendar that will not have any issue with the clubs.
“I think that’s the only solution.
Comments
“If it continues like that, people are going to keep complaining about the comments the clubs are making, because that problem has been there for years.
“Even FIFA, who are trying to get the World Cup every two years, would never try to squeeze it during the league.
“So I think the solution has to come from the African Confederation.
“Most of our best players are now playing in Europe, so they need to say, ‘We have to do something’.
“The club isn’t going to be happy that their player is going. I think that is unfair. It is the Confederation that needs to see if there is a solution.”
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