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Tag: Didier Drogba

  • ‘Come on guys, my dad cannot be a racist’ – Drogba defends ex-manager in Galatasaray case

    ‘Come on guys, my dad cannot be a racist’ – Drogba defends ex-manager in Galatasaray case

    Former Chelsea and Galatasaray striker Didier Drogba has come to the defense of his former coach, José Mourinho, amid allegations of racism. On Wednesday, Drogba stated that Mourinho “is not a racist,” adding that history supports this claim.

    The controversy arose after Galatasaray accused Mourinho, now managing Fenerbahçe, of making racist remarks following a heated 0-0 draw between the two Turkish rivals on Monday.

    The match, officiated by a Slovenian referee, saw Mourinho comment on an early challenge, suggesting that a Turkish referee would have issued a yellow card “after the big dive and their [Galatasaray’s] bench jumping around like monkeys.”

    Galatasaray has since announced plans to pursue legal action against Mourinho, citing “racist statements,” and has lodged complaints with football’s governing bodies.

    Drogba, who played under Mourinho in two separate spells, firmly rejected the allegations, standing by his former manager.

    “Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for 25 years and he is not a racist and history [past and recent] is there to prove it,” Drogba, who is Black, wrote. “Let’s focus on our games, support our brilliant lions and let’s win the league.”

    Drogba added: “How can my ‘Dad’ be a racist. Come on guys.”


    Meanwhile, Fenerbahçe SK has also rejected the accusation, saying the remarks had nothing to do with racism and were “deliberately taken entirely out of context and distorted in a misleading manner.”

    The club said it was planning to take a legal action “against this baseless accusation.”

    The Turkish football federation’s disciplinary board is expected to make an announcement on the incident in the coming days.

    Mourinho’s history with some African players

    Jose Mourinho has had a long history of working with African players and has often expressed his admiration for them. He has coached several prominent African footballers, including Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, John Obi Mikel, and Samuel Eto’o, among others. Mourinho has spoken highly of these players, praising their loyalty, dedication, and fighting spirit.

    Mourinho visits Africa with Michael Essien

    Mourinho has also traveled to Africa and has shared his experiences of being warmly received by fans on the continent. He has mentioned that the love and respect he receives from African fans are overwhelming, and he has formed close bonds with many African players.

    Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana), John Obi Mikel (Nigeria), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Geremi Njitap (Cameroon), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Mohamed Salah (Egypt).

  • This is what really happened: The alleged ‘confusion’ between Drogba’s mistress and wife at Ballon d’Or event

    This is what really happened: The alleged ‘confusion’ between Drogba’s mistress and wife at Ballon d’Or event

    Chelsea legend Didier Drogba became the subject of viral social media buzz following a moment at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony on October 28 in Paris, France,, where he appeared to be at the center of an unintended interaction involving two women.

    In the widely shared video, Drogba arrived at the event accompanied by his rumored girlfriend, Gabrielle Lemaire.

    However, as he was being ushered onto the red carpet by journalist and co-host Sandy Heribert, there was an accidental, light brush between Heribert’s sleeve and Lemaire’s face.

    This brief incident has sparked a range of online speculations. Some social media users misinterpreted the video, mistakenly identifying Heribert as Drogba’s wife and suggesting that she showed up to disrupt his evening with a “mistress.”

    In reality, Heribert was simply doing her job as an event co-host.

    Drogba, who has remained single since his 2021 divorce from Lalla, his wife of 20 years, has not remarried.

    “(I) am not used to discussing my private life, but due to speculation in the media today, I will confirm that unfortunately, after 20 years together, Lalla and I have made the difficult decision to go our separate ways.” He announced the separation via an Instagram post.

    “We remain very close, and our main goal has been our children and to protect them and the privacy of the family,” he added.

    They had three children in their over two decades of marriage.

  • Drogba shows solidarity with Chelsea’s Nicholas Jackson amid racist insults

    Drogba shows solidarity with Chelsea’s Nicholas Jackson amid racist insults

    Chelsea and Ivorian football icon, Didier Drogba, has publicly voiced his support for Senegalese striker Nicholas Jackson following the severe backlash he endured after Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Manchester City in the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday, April 20, 2024.

    Jackson faced the brunt of Chelsea fans’ anger due to what many perceived as a dismal performance against Manchester City.

    The Senegalese player missed three clear-cut opportunities during the game, contributing to the disappointment.

    In response, some Chelsea fans resorted to hurling insults at Jackson on social media, with some comments taking on racist undertones.

    Drogba, widely regarded as one of Chelsea’s greatest strikers of all time, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express unwavering support for his fellow African footballer.

    The tweet on Monday, April 22, 2024, reads, “Keep your head High UP and never stop working hard, it will pay off.”

    Meanwhile, Chelsea has condemned the racist attacks on the former Villarreal striker.

    “There is no place in society for any form of discrimination and we operate a zero-tolerance approach to any incident of this nature.

    “The club will support any criminal prosecutions and take the strongest possible action, including bans, against any individual who is found to be a season ticket-holder or member,” a statement by Chelsea.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJBtfGT2Hpw

    The same sentiments were echoed by Chelsea coach, Mauricio Pochettino, who urged the fans to be measured with their expectations of Nicholas Jackson as he is not Drogba’s replacement.

    “He’s our main striker, the only striker we have fit. He’s doing fantastic. He’s doing an amazing job for the team; running, scoring goals, giving assists.

    “His first season, a young guy, came in from Spain, even with not too much experience there. If we want the player to match the iconic players here, if we compare him with [Didier] Drogba, obviously he’s going to lose.

    “But he’s going to have all my support. Even if he doesn’t score, the way that he’s fighting for the club and his team-mates, he’s producing chances. He needs time to improve. He’ll be better next season for sure, no doubt about that,” he said.

    Jackson, who has scored 13 Premier League goals, is expected to lead the line for Chelsea when they take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

  • John Obi Mikel vows to be the “agent to broker” Osimhen’s deal to Chelsea

    John Obi Mikel vows to be the “agent to broker” Osimhen’s deal to Chelsea

    Former Chelsea player John Obi Mikel has expressed his willingness to facilitate a move to the Blues for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who admired Didier Drogba.

    During a podcast featuring Osimhen as a guest, Mikel offered to act as the striker’s agent to orchestrate a significant transfer to Stamford Bridge in the upcoming summer.

    Mikel, a former Nigeria international, also advised Osimhen against considering a move to the Saudi Pro League at this point in his career.

    Discussing a potential move to the Premier League, Osimhen shared that, as a child, he owned jerseys from only two clubs—Chelsea and Manchester United.

    He emphasised his admiration for another Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba, during his formative years.

    Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel told Osimhen, “It’s not the time to go to Saudi Arabia. Next season, I know you’re going to come to Chelsea. I’m going to be the agent to broker that deal. You’re 100% coming to Chelsea!”

    In response, the Serie A Golden Boot winner simply laughed.

    Later in the episode, Osimhen revealed: “I had two jersey’s from my brother when I was a kid—Chelsea and Manchester United. When I was playing grassroots, [I was compared to Didier Drogba]. We used to use my brother’s phone [to watch Drogba]. I would then go on the pitch and try to [emulate] at his game [and learn]. I still watch Drogba’s comps now.”

    Osimhen, currently in the process of recovering from an injury sustained in the previous international break, has not been included in the Nigeria squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying game.

    Amidst uncertainty surrounding his future at Napoli, it appears that a potential summer transfer to the Premier League is a consideration on his part.

  • Ballon d’Or: Drogba silences Emi Martinez hecklers during keeper’s speech after he won Yashin Trophy

    Ballon d’Or: Drogba silences Emi Martinez hecklers during keeper’s speech after he won Yashin Trophy

    During the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, Emiliano Martinez, the World Cup-winning goalkeeper, was awarded the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper in 2023.

    However, when Martinez went on stage to collect his award, the French fans in the audience began to boo as his remarkable save from Randal Kolo Muani’s last-minute strike in the 2022 World Cup final was replayed on the screen.

    To address this disrespectful behaviour, Didier Drogba, the former Chelsea star who was hosting the event, had to step in.

    Drogba called on the fans to show some respect to the award winner and requested that they cease the heckling.

    The lack of respect for Martinez was evident even before the ceremony.

    As he entered the Théâtre du Chatelet with his wife, Amanda Gama, French fans could be heard jeering the goalkeeper.

    Emiliano Martinez, who plays for Aston Villa, is set to return to action for his club on Sunday in a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV40K1pD0cQ
  • My most feared striker was Drogba -Yaya Toure admits

    My most feared striker was Drogba -Yaya Toure admits

    Fellow countryman of Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, has bestowed high praise upon him, recognizing him as one of the greatest players to emerge from Africa.

    Drogba’s illustrious career, predominantly with Chelsea, was marked by numerous achievements, particularly his ability to deliver in crucial moments, scoring vital goals in multiple finals, including Chelsea’s memorable UEFA Champions League victory in 2012.

    In 2015, Drogba returned to Chelsea for a six-month loan spell under former manager Jose Mourinho, contributing to the team’s success by adding another Premier League title to his collection, making it a total of four during his initial eight-year tenure at Stamford Bridge.

    Despite his eventual rise to prominence, Drogba faced challenges early on in his career.

    Interestingly, he initially started as a right-back, and in case his football aspirations did not materialize, he had a backup plan as a registered accountant, as reported by Sports Brief.

    Toure names Drogba scariest opponent

    The Ivorian striker was a nightmare for defenders with his strength, quick feet, and powerful shots, with even midfielders scared of his ability to turn games around.

    His compatriot, Toure, has named Drogba the player he feared playing against the most during his career and for a reason he called the 44-year-old’s greatest strength.

    “The guy who I always feared to play against the most was [Drogba]. For me, his header was stronger than his shot,” Toure said on BBC MOTD, via ESPN UK.

    The two faced off a few times during Champions League games between Chelsea and Barcelona, as well as during their time in the Premier League.

    Both share a combined six African Footballer of the Year awards between them, with the former Manchester City midfielder picking up four consecutively between 2011-2014, per Sky Sports.

    The former Barcelona star also helped his country win an Africa Cup of Nations title in 2015, a feat Drogba and co. fell just short of in 2012.

    Bonucci names Drogba strongest opponent

    Sports Brief also reported on Leonardo Bonucci naming Drogba his strongest opponent and one of the strikers that made him lose sleep ahead of games.

    The pair faced each other a couple of times in the EPL, but the Italian mentioned a specific game between Juventus and Galatasaray he still thinks about.

  • Didier Drogba speaks on Mason Mount’s move to Utd

    Didier Drogba speaks on Mason Mount’s move to Utd

    Didier Drogba, a legend of Chelsea, has sent Mason Mount his best wishes on his transfer to Manchester United.

    While the player’s transfer marked the end of his 18-year relationship with the Blues, Drogba referred to Mount in his letter as the “prince” of Chelsea.

    “Another prince leaving the club of his life. Thank you and all the very best to you, champs” he said as quoted by oneofourowncfc.

    Mount joins Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the list of academy graduates who have departed the club this summer.

    He joined the Red Devils for a transfer fee of £55 million and £5 million add-ons. He has signed a contract running until June 2028, with the option of a further year.

  • Chelsea legend Drogba’s new project schools players about fake agents

    Chelsea legend Drogba’s new project schools players about fake agents

    Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has said that football players in Africa should be wary of fake agents peddling promises of fame and fortune.

    Through his foundation, Drogba has teamed up with global football players union FIFPRO and the International Labour Organisation to raise awareness about the risks.

    “Please, I need you to hear this,” former Ivory Coast international said in an animated campaign video to players. “Be very careful who you trust. Never trust the person who wants your money.”

    FIFPRO recently surveyed 263 players from seven African countries and found that more than 70% were contacted unsolicited by someone who promised to help them switch clubs.

    Most often, players approached were offered the chance of a trial (43%) or a contract with a club (39%) — and 56% did not get a trial promised to them, while 44% did not sign a contract they expected to sign.

    “FIFPRO has heard many stories about players being approached by people pretending to be agents that promise to arrange a trial or a contract with a new club,” FIFPRO said in a statement.

    “The reality is less glamorous… In some of the worst cases players find themselves stranded abroad without money to return home.”

    Drogba said that young players in particular are at risk in their eagerness to secure an agent.

    “Your best agent is not the guy you may trust, the best agent you can have is your performances,” Drogba told reporters in a video call this week. “This never lies. So the more you perform, the more clubs are coming to watch you play.

    “What I see is a lot of kids looking for an agent to find me a club. That’s not how it works. It’s the performance that gets the attention of the clubs and good agents.”

    As part of FIFA’s new regulations, as of Oct. 1 2023, every football agent must have a FIFA licence, which requires passing an exam.

    The campaign includes a pamphlet for players with practical advice such as how to identify a fake agent, what to look for in a contract, and a player’s rights as a foreign employee.

    “Some of our friends paid their entire family savings, everything they had, but they never played abroad,” Drogba said in his animated video. “Instead, they were left stranded at an airport, or in a shabby space, under a stadium with 20 others, or living under a bridge or even thrown in jail in Asia.

    “And I’m not talking about one player. But thousands just like you, with the same hopes and dreams who have been cheated and left with nothing… I don’t want you to be the next.”

    The 45-year-old is one of the most successful African players in Premier League history. He scored 164 goals for Chelsea, winning four league titles and the Champions League and was twice awarded the Premier League Golden Boot.

  • Osimhen eulogises Drogba as his role model, names preferred EPL club

    Osimhen eulogises Drogba as his role model, names preferred EPL club

    An old video has resurfaced on social media where Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen named former Chelsea and Ivory Coast superstar Didier Drogba as his role model stressing that watching him back then was a tonic.

    There have been many transfer rumours about Osimhen since he helped Napoli win the Scudetto after 33 years and won the heart of the club’s fans.

    Osimhen netted 26 league goals last season and became the first African to win the Golden Boot award in Serie A, which was an incredible achievement.

    That has led to many clubs in Europe showing interest in the services of the former Lille strongman.

    Osimhen is currently in Lagos where he has been spending his holidays after a successful season in Italy.

    According to the video on Twitter, Osimhen who was 16-year-old then was asked to clear the air about him being wanted by Tottenham.

    Osimhen rejects Tottenham’s move

    ”I really don’t know anything about the Tottenham speculation and I am not going to the club. Didier Drogba is my role model, he is someone I watched on the television for many years.

    ”If I would join a side in England, it will be Chelsea because they are among the biggest sides in the world.”

    Onazi hosts Osimhen, Asiwaju Lerry

    Earlier, Sports Brief had reported how an awesome video has been spotted on social media where Super Eagles legend Ogenyi Onazi was seen hosting Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and media personality Asiwaju Lerry in his mansion in Lagos.

  • African countries are always losing at World Cup – Didier Drogba explains why

    African countries are always losing at World Cup – Didier Drogba explains why

    Didier Drogba, an iconic figure in African football, has attributed the continent’s challenges in the World Cup to frequent changes in coaching staff.

    The legendary Ivory Coast player argues that in order for African teams to be competitive, they should adopt long-term projects with coaches and refrain from dismissing managers hastily in response to minor setbacks.

    During his address at the 2023 Afreximbank Conference in Accra, Drogba stressed that this practice is widespread across African countries and advised against it, highlighting how it hampers team cohesion and development.

    “It is not just about Ivory Coast but it is the same everywhere. We hire a national team coach. We win all the qualifying games for the World Cup of the Africa Cup of Nations.

    “We go to the Africa Cup of Nations and we lose in the quarter-final, the next day or the next hour the manager is out. And we hire a new manager, this guy is coming in and he knows that for example in Ivory Coast national team you have Yaya Toure, Kolo Tour, Salomon Kalou, Didier Zokora, Didier Drogba.

    “He [the new coach] is watching the premier league weekend, he is not going to think much, he is going to play the same team otherwise for him it’s easy to put the same team and we go like that same circle. Two years later he is out, you don’t build anything by hiring new managers. Give them time.”

    The former Chelsea man referenced France manager Didier Deschamps situation, stating that he would have lost his job in 2016 if he were head coach of an African side.

    “Look at Didier Deschamp, he has been with the French national team for almost a decade.

    “He lost the Euros in 2016 in France can you imagine if this happened in Ivory and Ghana?” Didier Drogba said at this year’s Afreximbank Conference in Accra.

    Since Africa’s debut at the World Cup in 1934, the continent has had only four representatives in the quarter-final with only one managing to reach the semis.

    The list includes Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Morocco. Morocco became the first African country to reach the semi-finals in 2022 when they beat Spain.

  • Didier Drogba ‘no longer recognize club’, calls out owners to revisit principles

    Didier Drogba ‘no longer recognize club’, calls out owners to revisit principles

    In light of Chelsea’s dismal season, Didier Drogba has launched a stinging attack on the club’s current management.

    With a 4-0 aggregate score, Real Madrid eliminated Chelsea from the Champions League on Tuesday night.

    With the departure, Chelsea’s final opportunity to win a trophy and find redemption this year also vanished.

    The possibility of playing in any capacity in Europe next season is currently a long shot given their current 11th-place standing.

    They are currently languishing in 11th position, with any form of European football next season a far cry at moment.

    Drogba has now waded into the discussion, seemingly taking issue with the Todd Boehly owned club.

    Boehly led the Clearlake consortium in acquiring the West London club last summer following the decision of Roman Abramovich to sell.

    Despite pumping an excess of 600 million euros in their first two transfer windows, Chelsea are yet to find a winning formula. Four managers have already been contracted this season.

    What Drogba thinks

    Whilst the search for a new permanent boss continues, Drogba has questioned the lack of class at the club under the new owners.

    “I knew this club with a certain class during the Abramovich era, but today I find it lacking. It’s very hard for me to see how they got rid of certain people.

    They should go back to the principles and values they had. I no longer recognise my club,” as quoted by the Guardian.

    Boehly undertook a major revamp of the technical staff with longstanding chairman Bruce Buck, director of football Marina Granovsakia and legendary goalkeeper and technical director Petr Cech all exiting the club.

    The club has struggled to maintain its high standards as the American continues to juggle his way around owning a football club.

    Drogba scored the winning penalty when Chelsea first won the Champions League in 2012 against Bayern Munich.

    Lampard, who captained the squad on that night, declined to respond to Drogba’s stinging remarks.

  • World Cup 2022: Morocco’s journey is a miracle by all standard – Didier Drogba

    Didier Drogba, a former international for the Ivory Coast, says he is happy to be an African in light of Morocco‘s amazing World Cup performance in Qatar in 2022.

    After defeating Portugal 1-0 in the quarterfinals, The Atlas Lios became the first African team to advance to the semifinals of the international championship.

    However, their run ended with a 2-0 defeat to the holders France on Wednesday.

    “The Moroccan national team’s career is a miracle by all standards. I am proud as an African of the Atlas Lions,” the former Chelsea striker said.

     

    Prior to Morocco’s historic campaign, only Cameroon (in 1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) had ever progressed to the World Cup quarter-finals for Africa.

    Morocco will face Croatia in Saturday’s third-placed playoff at the Khalifa International Stadium.

    The Atlas Lions lost 2-0 to holders France while Zlatko Dalic’s side were well beaten by Argentina in their semi-final clash on Tuesday.

    The two countries have already met at the tournament, playing out a goalless draw in their Group F opener.

  • King Promise eats breakfast in Qatar with Chelsea’s greats

    Ghanaian artist and song writer, Gregory Bortey Promise Newman, known in showbiz as King Promise appears to be having a great time in Qatar as he has shared a picture of himself in a pose with three seasoned former players of the Chelsea football club.

    King Promise in a pose with John Terry

     

    This, according to the musician is after he had breakfast with them.

    King Promise in a pose with Didier Drogba

    In the tweet captioned “Breakfast with Chelsea’s greats” King Promise posed with the three; former striker for Chelsea, Didier Drogba, former Chelsea defender, John Terry, and a former captain for the club Marcel Desailly.

    Thousands of supporters across the globe have converged at Qatar (the venue for the games) to boost the morale of their teams.

    These include citizens, government officials, celebrities, etc. King Promise is also there to showcase his support.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • ”He’s a Hard guy”: Gh influencer meets Didier, gives him his card to call him

    During a recent trip to Rwanda, KalyJay, a well-known Ghanaian social media influencer, had the opportunity to meet Didier Drogba, his idol.

    The teenage social media celebrity was thrilled to meet the famous person and have a brief conversation with him. KalyJay is a huge supporter of the football team Chelsea.

    So it makes sense that he would look up to Didier, one of Chelsea’s all-time great players. Following their conversation, KalyJay took pictures with the football legend and gave him his business card.

    People who watched the video were surprised by Kaly’s confidence because they had anticipated him to request Didier’s card. Others, however, had differing views on Kaly granting Didier his card.

    KalyJay keeps growing as a brand and is widely respected by many important people. He has had the privilege to meet a lot of dignitaries and well-revered people in society.

    Netizens React To Kaly Jay Meeting Didier

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by KALYJAY (@kalyjayy)

    kwakukish_designs said:

    Guy do yawa…..u take card give am Na u for take en phone call ur phone

    kaystudios also reacted:

    You Dey give drogba your card eii how he go reach you my bother if you no take inn own

    benmccupid was impressed:

    Im impressed with your growth man… keep soaring

    pluckysam_ps liked Kaly’s confidence:

    hard guy

  • Solomon Asante celebrates Western Conference victory with Didier Drogba

    Phoenix Rising captain, Solomon Asante celebrated reaching the USL championship final on Saturday night with former teammate Didier Drogba.

    Solomon Asante led Phoenix to overcome El Paso Locomotive FC in the final of the Western Conference on penalties.

    The game finished 1-1 in regulation time with Phoenix winning the shootout 4-2.

    After lifting the trophy, Asante made a video call to Drogba to celebrate the achievement.

    Drogba, who retired from football in 2018, was rooting for Phoenix and was super excited when they won.

    He was all smiles when Asante called him to celebrate the victory together.

    The Chelsea legend spent the final season of his illustrious career at the USL club.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Could Drogba be getting a Fifa lifeline?

    Didier Drogba’s hopes of becoming the next president of Ivory Coast’s football federation (FIF) could be restored.

    Fifa has requested the suspension of all activity relating to the elections until it has received various documentation.

    Concerned that the electoral process may not be free and fair, football’s world governing body has requested FIF’s electoral commission to send the five files by Friday “28 August 2020 at the very latest”.

    “Pending your documents and information, we invite you to suspend all actions relating to the electoral process until further notice,” Fifa Secretary General Fatma Samoura wrote to the electoral commission.

    Samoura’s letter was sent on Thursday, the same day as former Ivory Coast captain and Chelsea star Drogba was rejected as a candidate.

    On Thursday, the electoral commission selected just two candidates to be the next FIF president – Sory Diabate, who is the current first vice-president of the federation while Yacine Idriss Diallo is a former third vice-president.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Why Ivory Coast ex-footballers snubbed Didier Drogba and voted massively for Sory Diabaté

    Shockwaves spread like wildfire when news emerged on Sunday that Ivory Coast former footballers snubbed their own colleague Didier Drogba by voting massively for long-standing FA loyalist Sory Diabate in the FA presidential elections.

    The Chelsea great and former African Footballer of the Year had ZERO votes in the first phase of the election for the person to take over from Sidy Diallo as the FA President.

    All the votes went to Diabate, who had served for years as the assistant to Diallo, as the little known but influential figure went on to humiliate the legend with a thumping him in the highly symbolic votes.

    It was expected that Drogba’s team-mates would overwhelmingly vote for their famous colleague but soon it became clear that the ex-players preferred the experienced football administrator.

    Why Didier Zokora didn’t vote for Didier Drogba and why Drogba had zero votes from the Association of former players. Some little facts to let you understand the story better.

    It is not envy. The old players don’t hate the Chelsea legend. What happened was natural and backed by common sense. You would do same if you were in the same scenario.

    In September 2019 Didier Zokora – who played with Drogba in the national team for 12 good years – was appointed to the Technical Directorate of the Ivory Coast Football Association.

    The man behind this appointment was the vice president of the Ivory Coast FA (pictured) named Sory Diabaté who is also the Ivory Coast League boss.

    In fact, nine other former footballers including the great Abdoulaye Traore, Youssouf Fofana, Ibrahim Bakayoko, Kone Ibrahim and others were appointed into similar positions by the FA.

    By so doing most of them became engaged and found jobs in football as ex-national stars. At least they are salaried staff of the Ivory Coast FA and they won’t be “begging around”.

    Again this man РSorry Diabat̩ Рwas key in helping at least 10 former footballers acquire their coaching license free of charge. None of them paid a penny.

    So in 2020, this same man Diabaté declares intention to be Ivory Coast FA president and the Association of Former footballers go to the election room to decide which candidate to support and you want that to be Drogba? Because he belongs to them? Hell no. That would have been a cruel way to pay Diabaté back. What the former players did was the sensible thing to do. I will do same.

    Other factors worked against Drogba. He is not liked in the Ivorian media as a criticism of his knowledge of domestic football grew. He is accused of not having an interest in domestic football. He has not watched even one match locally. He launched his Presidential campaign via an interview with a French television station. It did not go down well with many Ivorians.

    He was in Egypt for the recent AFCON but didn’t visit the Ivorian team in camp. His cardinal sin with his team-mates is that he didn’t even inform the former players that he was contesting for the position.

    They don’t hate Drogba. It was a hard decision and they decided this way. The ex-footballers voted to support somebody who was at their services about one year ago. This is only natural and common sense support this decision.

    Zokora played with Drogba. Yes, that is true but he didn’t vote for him and he could not have voted for him. Diabaté won over his heart long ago.

    Source: dailymailgh.com