Former Ivory Coast star striker Didier Drogba steps down as AFI vice-president, accuses body of 'inaction'

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.

Open letter 🇨🇮 @FIFProAfrica @FIFPRO @AFI_CI pic.twitter.com/siorMjLOMa

— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) August 9, 2021

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

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.