Walter Wilson Nana, AfricaNews reporter in Buea, Cameroon
Discussions making rounds across Ivory Coast that goal poacher, Didier Drogba may not resume duty with the Elephants of Ivory Coast has been confirmed. François Zahoui, the Elephant's new manager, recently said his latest meeting with the Chelsea hit man in London had not been successful.
During his London sojourn, Zahoui invited Drogba for the2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda on Saturday, September 4, but the Chelsea striker turned down the request, 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 told reporters.
However, some soccer pundits in Ivory Coast have observed that 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.
Prior to Zahoui’s recruitment by the Ivorian Football Federation, FIF, an earlier contact with Frenchman, Gerard Gili by FIF officials to be contracted as the coach of the Elephants was said to be frustrated by some players of the Ivorian national team, championed by Drogba.
The FIF President Jacques Anoma reassured there was no problem between the FA and the 32-year-old former captain of the Elephants.
