Didier Drogba Quits Cote D’Ivoire National Team

Chelsea talisman Didier Drogba will not make himself available for national duty with Cote d’Ivoire for the forseeable future.

The week-long rumours of Didier Drogba’s probable withdrawal from the Cote D’Ivoire national team have been confirmed. The team’s new coach François Zahoui told reporters in Abidjan on Saturday, during his official presentation by the FA, that his recent meeting with the Premier League top scorer in London had not been fruitful.

Zahoui personally visited Drogba to summon him for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda on Saturday, but the Chelsea’s forward declined the call, giving more awful news of his departure.

“I truly met Drogba in London. He told me he was so tired that he wanted to withdraw from the national team for a while. Drogba is a world class player who is indispensable for the Elephants, but I had to respect his decision. We will let him rest to recover his mental and physical strength and pray he comes back some day to the national team,” Zahoui said.

However, sports analysts across the country are suggesting Drogba was leaving not because he was tired, like he said, but was simply frustrated with unending criticisms he is facing at the FA and in the team’s set-up.

But the FA president Jacques Anoma reassured there was no problem between the FA and the 32-year-old former captain of the Elephants.

By Kingsley Kobo| Aug 30, 2010|Goal.com|