FIFPro has decided to suspend the FIF election in Ivory Coast as former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba’s candidacy was not supported by the players union, who had previously agreed to support the bid. The Chelsea legend was extremely ambitious and looking forward to becoming the president of the country’s FA. Now, however, the Ivory Coast Footballers Association – also known as AFI – has decided to support current FIF vice president Idriss Diallo for the presidency ahead of Drogba. The AFI is one of the five organisations that can support an individual’s candidacy to become the FA president.
FIFPro Africa has decided to distance itself from the AFI position of not supporting Drogba after having initially given support. The legitimate support that has been pulled out from the players union comes as a major shock, as Drogba enjoys immense support from a large section of the Ivory Coast community. FIFPro President Philippe Piat came up with a signed suspension of the Footballers Association from all of its rights. In response, AFI claimed that it was acting in the best interests of the FA and it does not believe that Drogba is the best candidate right now.
Didier Drogba is the all-time top scorer for Ivory Coast. He managed to 65 goals in just 105 games for the national team. The 42-year-old is best known for his two spells with Chelsea, where he managed to pick up every major honour – including the Premier league and Champions League titles. Drogba has been involved in a lot of charitable work in his home country and he has even been rumoured to be interested in the prospect of running for the country’s presidency. The interest to stand for the FA presidency is believed to have been born out of this desire to make the most out of his popularity and do good for the nation.