Fading Soccer star Didier Drogba still
matters to Ivorians
To many in Ivory Coast, Didier Drogba
will remain one of the country’s greatest
football players of all time, a true legend.
Others argue that the striker, who
achieved fame at his current Chelsea
club in England, won no trophy for his
homeland and thus does not deserve all
the praise.
Now 36, Drogba joined the Elephants in
2002, in the wake of a failed military
coup that degenerated into a civil war,
splitting the West African nation and the
world’s top cocoa grower into a rebelheld north and government-controlled
south.
He later played a vital role in the national
reconciliation process, using football as
a major weapon as he travelled to the
rebel held stronghold to campaign for
disarmament and peace.
One Time Captain of the Elephants of the Ivory Coast
Didier Drogba
He quickly became a household name recognisable by his trademark curls and ponytail, which
city and village youngsters soon adopted as legitimate hairstyle.
Ivory Coast football was in the decline then, following the disintegration of the squad that won
the country’s first Africa Cup of Nations title in Senegal in 1992. The national team pulled little
interest from locals, whose focus gradually shifted to the domestic league.
After failing to qualify for the 2004 Afcon due to lack of a complete and competitive set up, the
team however thrived in 2006, unexpectedly reaching the finals of the 2006 Afcon under the
captaincy of Drogba, but sadly enough lost on penalties to host nation Egypt.
Coupled with his move from French club Marseille to Chelsea and his exploits in the English
Premier League (EPL), Drogba became a hero back home. Soccer aficionados abandoned the
Ivorian league for the EPL. Many bought new television sets, renewed their satellite TV
subscriptions or bought new contracts to follow the weekend actions.
Chelsea’s all-blue Drogba jersey was as common as the blue and white high school uniform in
the country. The name of a popular lager beer was changed to “Drogba”, which all beer
parlours must have in stock during the weekends.
Ivorian musicians and urban disc jockeys composed countless titles using the name Drogba. A
dance step was also named after him. He was loved by everyone. He was one of the few
Ivorian personalities whose popularity cut across the country’s long-existing ethnic and
religious barriers.