Drogba resigns as vice-president of Côte d’Ivoire players’ association

Former Ivory Coast star striker Didier Drogba on Tuesday said he was stepping down as vice-president of his country’s Footballers Association (AFI) accusing it of “inaction” on defending player interests.

“I hereby announce I have decided to resign from my post as vice-president of the AFI and from its executive committee,” the former Chelsea attacker said in an open letter to the media.

Instead of defending players’ rights and interests he said the AFI “does not respond to their needs and expectations”.

Former national skipper Drogba had been widely expected to head the West African country’s football association FIF but last year saw his candidacy snubbed as the AFI alleged he has not been sufficiently involved with the players’ representative organisation.

He still hopes nonetheless to win a November election to that post.

In this file photo taken on August 01, 2020 Former Ivorian forward Didier Drogba (R) wearing a mask, listens to Ivorian Football Federation’s secretary Jean-Baptiste Sam Etiasse (L) speaking upon the submission of his application as president of the FIF at the federation headquarters in Treicheville district of Abidjan. SIA KAMBOU / AFP

FIFA placed the FIF under its own remit last December saying the organisation was suffering from inherent internal problems and structural weaknesses and was not fully complying with statutory and regulatory requirements which all FIFA member associations must follow.

The normalisation committee now overseeing the Ivory Coast game must choose a FIF president.

FIFA in January chose Senator Mariam Dao Gabala, a newcomer to the football world, to oversee the normalisation committee which comprises four members.

AFP