The sport’s global governing body originally announced the creation of a players’ voice panel at its annual congress in Thailand in May 2024.

Former AC Milan striker Weah and ex-Chelsea forward Drogba have now been named as part of the group which includes players – both men and women – from 14 countries.

The panel will advise on anti-racism strategies, participate in educational programmes and contribute to reforms across football.

“Football brings unity and development. It also enhances humanity,” said Weah, who has been named as the panel’s ‘honorary captain’.

“I will always exert all efforts, as I have done in the past and continue to do, to promote the sport because football is life. I am honoured to serve in this role.”

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the panel members will “support education at all levels of the game” and “promote new ideas for lasting change”.

“They will further push for a shift in football culture, making sure measures to counter racism are not just talked about, but actioned, both on and off the pitch,” Infantino said in a statement.

“Let’s be clear on this: racism and discrimination are not simply wrong – they are crimes. All incidents of racism, whether in stadiums or online, must be fully punished both by football and across society.”

Fifa’s players’ voice anti-racism panel

George Weah (Liberia)

Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo)

Mercy Akide (Nigeria)

Ivan Cordoba (Colombia)

Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)

Khalilou Fadiga (Senegal)

Formiga (Brazil)

Jessica Houara (France)

Maia Jackman (New Zealand)

Sun Jihai (China PR)

Blaise Matuidi (France)

Aya Miyama (Japan)

Lotta Schelin (Sweden)

Briana Scurry (United States)

Mikael Silvestre (France)

Juan Pablo Sorin (Argentina)

Galatasaray accused Fenerbahce manager Mourinho of making “racist statements” following the goalless draw between the Turkish Super Lig rivals on Monday.

It was not clear which statements Galatasaray referred to but, speaking after the Istanbul derby, Mourinho said the home bench had been “jumping like monkeys”.

But Drogba, who scored 20 goals in 53 appearances for Galatasaray in the 2013-14 season, offered support of Mourinho, who was his boss during two spells at Chelsea.

“You know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!!,” the former Ivory Coast striker posted on X.

“We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it.

“I’ve seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for 25 years and he is not a racist and history [past and recent] is there to prove it.

“How can my “Dad” be a racist. Come on guys.”

Former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid manager Mourinho took charge of Fenerbahce in June 2024 after leaving Roma.

Before the Galatasaray encounter, he also repeated criticism of Turkish referees, saying it would have been a “disaster” to use an official from the country.

Slovenian Slavko Vincic was the referee after both clubs requested a foreign official take charge of the fixture.

‘Such behaviour is unacceptable’

Sources close to Mourinho say he has been angered by the allegations and is assessing his legal options.

They say he has worked closely with scores of black players over the course of his career and does not feel any of them would believe him to hold any views of a racist nature.

“Jose Mourinho’s systematic derogatory comments about the Turkish Super Lig, Turkish referees and the Turkish nation since his employment in Turkey are increasingly concerning,” said Galatasaray board member Can Natan.

“His recent remarks following the derby match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, in which he stated that Galatasaray’s bench was “jumping like monkeys”, are not only insulting but also illustrate a troubling pattern that crosses the borders of racist behavior.

“For someone in Mourinho’s position, it is essential to promote respect rather than resort to disparaging comments that foster division. Such behaviour is unacceptable and demands serious reflection on the impact of his words. Influential figures in football should lead by example and contribute positively to the sport.”

Fenerbahce said the comments had been taken “completely out of context”.

Mourinho has been highly critical about the level of refereeing in the Turkish Super Lig. In November, the 62-year-old said he would not have taken the Fenerbahce job if he had known the standards of officiating and was subsequently handed a one-match ban and fine of about £15,000.

Mourinho has yet to speak publicly on Galatasaray’s statement.

Well , it won’t be easy, that’s for sure.

Standing in their way is a resilient Everton side, who have shown an upturn in form recently. Buoyed by their draw against Arsenal, Everton will be looking to once again steal points from one of the big boys of the Premier League.

Chelsea, however, will know that only a win will suffice if they are to close the gap on Liverpool at the top.

Ahead of the clash, Showmax chatted to Senegalese-born Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson. The striker has been at the forefront of Chelsea’s fine form of recent games, and he could be the difference come the weekend when they face off against a tough Everton team.

Tell us a little bit about your background and your personal life growing up?

I’m obviously Senegalese, but Senegalese and Gambian because my dad is Gambian and I went to Gambia when I was young. When you’re young, normally in Africa, you always go to your dad’s place, you know? And so, I went to my dad’s home, and then I went back home to Senegal when I was maybe 14 ,15, to be with my mum again.

Tell me about your mom. Did she work on a farm? What role did she play in your love for football?

I don’t think my mom loved football. My mom didn’t care what I was doing, she just wanted me to be successful and do what I want to do. So it’s not like she forced me to play football, she just wanted me to be happy and do what I want, but do the right thing, not something bad. She was working on the farm. She’s always working. Not just her, everybody in Senegal loves that. All the mothers go to the farm or they sell, so, it was normal.

Why did you decide to pursue football?

It’s difficult to choose, so you just have to do what you want to do and try to go with it 100%. So I did football and then decided I’m just going to play, and I went all out in training every day. And then I went to the teams and I played street football when I was young, of course. I started off in first division, then went to Villareal and now I am at Chelsea.

Tell me a bit more about street football because, you know, you’re a Premier League footballer now, life is very glamorous, but not too many years ago you didn’t even have a pair of football boots.

We didn’t have original boots because it’s too expensive, so normally I played with my school shoes or barefoot because my family didn’t want me to play. It’s not that they didn’t want me to play. They didn’t just want me to waste my time playing football because it’s too difficult to be successful in football in Senegal. You have to be very talented or lucky to go. Maybe two players leave in 10 years or two players leave in five years. So it’s not that they didn’t want me to play, it’s just they didn’t want me to waste my time playing. So, they said, no, don’t play, just study, study, study, study. So I was always studying.

You must have had incredible belief because you just said only one or two make it out and your family wanted you to study. How did you know you were going to be one of those who made it big?

I knew since I was young. My dad asked me when I was about four or five, what I want to be in the future and I said, a football player. He told me it was difficult to succeed. I knew I had to work very hard and I wasn’t scared of being successful.

You played at school. You played in the streets. Then your first taste of organised football is with ASC Tilene. What was that experience like?

It was difficult, especially when I came to Spain because I didn’t have that experience. I was just running and playing with the ball and dribbling a lot. In Spain, they tried to teach me where to stand, I was like, bro, just let me play. And then I understood more. So, it’s like three years of trying to learn tactics and try to run behind.

Let’s go back to going to Casa Sport because you earned a nickname there. I think in the first game people saw you and called you Neymar.

Yeah, it was in Tilene, they called me Neymar, because I just loved dribbling.  I was trying to do what he does, many things on the pitch.

You moved to a new continent, a new country in Spain, and had to learn a new language. How did you adapt?

It was difficult because I didn’t speak the language, but obviously I was living with other people, and ‘m not a quiet person. I like to socialise with the people, so, I was learning. I learned Spanish quickly. In six, seven months, I was good. Speaking Spanish, or at least trying to because no one spoke English. Only one guy. So I had to speak Spanish. But it was nice living in Villarreal. I was living in Ciudad Deportiva, so there I was learning Spanish and then I moved to the house and then I went on loan to Mirandes then came back to Villareal’s b-team, and then eventually into the first team.

That loan deal that you mentioned. How did that affect you mentally? Did it make you more determined to make it work to prove yourself?

Yeah, I  think it helped me a lot because that time I was in the under-19 team and then I think Mirande was in second division, so they took me from there. I had a hamstring injury so I went there. I had to recover from my hamstring injury and start playing. I went there and I played a lot of games when I started and when it was cold, I started to get injured again, so I had to come back to Villarreal. When I came back I got put in the b-team and that made me angry. But I told myself, look, I’m not ready. I showed that I’m not ready yet to be in the first team, so I have to stay one year more in the B-team and then try to prove myself and go to the first team.

So I tried and changed everything around me, try to improve everything, food and people around me as well. And, that year we did amazingly and we went to second division. And then Unai Emery took me to the first division that year, to the first team, and then I was starting every game.

What was it about that year when you were in the B-team? What did you do besides change things around you?

When you are not injured, you get more confident in your legs and run better. So, I changed everything around me. And then I was feeling better.

And then Unai saw you, took you to the first team. What was it like working with him?

It was amazing. He taught me maybe 50% of what I know tactically. And because he is top tier, he changed everything. I used to play like a kid, but he got me playing like a man.

How much of that street football or, you know, the rough diamond do we still see in your play today?

It’s a different me. I don’t even see anything of when I was young. Now I play to win. It’s different. Now it’s professional, you play to win, not play to have fun. You know if it’s playing to have fun you can just play outside in the street. But now we play to win. So that’s what I didn’t know before. And I know that football now is about winning.

I hear that you were very willing to learn. Was that just because you wanted to make it to the top? Are you very open to learning in order to be the best?

I’m open to learning from people I know want to help me. Not everybody, you know. But I’m stubborn as well. So I like to listen to people that want to help me. But the pressure is it’s normal because when you’re in a big team and you want to be the best, if you cannot handle the pressure, I think you should not play football because football is all about that, because they don’t know what you’re doing off the pitch. They just know what you’re doing on the pitch so they don’t care what you’re doing off the pitch. So, you just have to handle the pressure and try to play football and enjoy it and try to win.

How did your move to Chelsea come about?

I was playing well at Villareal and scored 12 goals that year. After the season I was going on holiday. I told my agent, I don’t want to talk about any club now, I  just want to enjoy myself please.

But there was interest from a few clubs, I think some teams in Milan. But one day my agent just calls me and tells me we are going to Chelsea. I said, oh, good. He said, but there is too much pressure. I said, don’t worry, If I was not ready I would tell you. But I know  I am ready for that level.

I was ready to face the pressure, but I think even my friends were saying, oh, don’t go to Chelsea. I think some people in the national team told me, no, don’t go because there is too much pressure. I said, bro, but we’re different, you know?

It sounds like that stubbornness you were talking about because you just knew you were going to make it at Chelsea?

I haven’t made it yet. I’m just improving. I  haven’t made it yet. You are making it when you are starting every week, every year, scoring 30 goals or something. Like winning, winning something, you know?

Your  start was very difficult at Chelsea though, wasn’t it?

It was very difficult, but nothing is easy in life, but it’s different now though.

I don’t mind the difficulties and challenges. Also, the more I hear people saying bad things about me, the more it drives me. You know, criticising me. I just love this.

Do you feel you settled in at Chelsea now?

I’m feeling good. Very good. With the players, with the coach, when they’re playing. And there’s no pressure it means, you are doing well. I am just trying to focus and work harder.

As an African goal scorer playing for Chelsea, the comparison that was inevitable was you and Didier Drogba. Do you feel it? How do you feel about it?

I don’t compare myself  with anyone, because I  haven’t reached the level of a Drogba as yet.

Didier is like a legend in Africa and a legend in Chelsea. He won everything. I haven’t won nothing yet. I haven’t done nothing yet. So, I don’t really like the comparison, but it’s nice. It means  you’re heading somewhere, and you just try to work harder to be like him or more than him.

What is it like representing the Senegal national team? In the last international break you scored your first goal. What was that feeling like?

I was very happy because it was my first goal there, and my only goal right now. When I joined the national team, there was big names, so you have to settle down. It’s not easy there, you know? So, I was very happy to score. And seeing those big players celebrate with me like Sadio Mane, was special. I think I watched Mane from when I was a young boy.

You do charity work in Senegal. Can you tell me a little bit more about that. How much it means to you, why it’s important to, you?

I’m not just working for myself. I’m working, of course, for myself, for my family, for the people that I grew up with, my friends. So, it’s nice when you do this kind of thing and know if I had that before, it would be better, but I didn’t have it. So if I have it, it’s nothing, it’s just, you know, a little something that every month I try to give to the people what they need, like food,

I give boots as well to the to the boys. I try to take the boots off the players here and some I buy. Some I take from Nike and try to give to the kids in Ziguinchor [in Senegal]. So not everybody will have, but a few would.

You struggled in the beginning at Chelsea and now you’ve made it. You said you haven’t done anything yet. What are your hopes and ambitions and dreams for the future?

I have personal dreams. I have it in my mind. Maybe when I finish football, I’ll talk about it, you know.

But from a football point of view? Obviously, every year, win a trophy, be the best  in the world. And that’s obviously since I was young, that’s what I was, why I play football to win trophies and be the best goal scorer.

What about the manager Enzo Maresca, how he’s adapted to what he wants, how he’s helped you?

He’s amazing because he was obviously last year with Leicester and he has been at Man City. So he has a lot of experience in helping all the players, bringing new ideas to the play, and helping the team a lot and he has a winning mentality and ambition too. He is also a very amazing person. So, we’re very happy to work with him and I hope we do amazing things together. We travel together and have many happy moments together in Chelsea.

Have you set any immediate targets for this season? Like a certain number of goals you want to score?

Not me personally, my brain is always okay, so that’s not for sharing.

How can fans get Showmax Premier League on their phones?

Sign up for the Showmax Premier League mobile plan for R69 p/m at www.showmax.com  for all the Premier League action.

The Final Draw will take place at the breathtaking, brand-new Parc des Expositions venue in Abidjan on Thursday 12 October, as the build-up to the 34^th edition of the biggest event on African soil reaches fever pitch.

The draw will start at 19h00 local time/GMT (21h00 CAT, 22h00 Cairo) and will be live on CAF TV (YouTube).

The Final Draw will be beamed in over 50 countries, with millions of viewers expected to tune in to the event on CAF’s Official YouTube channel, as well as across CAF’s Global TV partners.  

Ivorian icon Drogba, Cote d’Ivoire’s all-time top goal scorer with 65 goals in 105 internationals – including the country’s first-ever goal in the FIFA World Cup in 2006 – is the popular hometown hero amongst the stellar Draw Assistants. Drogba scored 11 goals in 24 AFCON games for the Elephants and helped Cote d’Ivoire to two AFCON cup finals in 2006 and 2012.

His former Chelsea teammate Mikel, a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner with Nigeria and also a three-time AFCON bronze medallist with the Super Eagles, is another big name who will grace the occasion.

The irrepressible Sadio Mane, who scored the winning penalty as Senegal won their first TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations title in Cameroon in 2021, is a revered two-time CAF African Player of the Year who will grace the Final Draw stage in Abidjan. Mane is Senegal’s all-time leading scorer with 38 international goals and has scored eight goals in 18 AFCON games for the Teranga Lions.

Paris Saint Germain right back Hakimi, who was part of the Morocco team that made a historic run to the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final, adds North African star quality to the list of Draw Assistants.

Delegations and the coaches from each of the 24 participating nations, CAF legends, international media, CAF commercial partners, showbiz celebrities and African leaders will be in attendance for the much-anticipated Final Draw, which will well and truly kick-start the final stretch to what is shaping up to the best AFCON ever. 

The Qualified Nations for the Final Draw: 

Cote d’Ivoire (hosts), Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo DR, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zambia

King Promise took a step from the buzz surrounding the world cup to have a special time with Didier Drogba, John Terry & Marcel Desailly.

The artiste was bursting with emotions when he met one of his favorites, Brazilian legend Cafu.

It has always been King Promise’s dream from childhood to play alongside some world stars, but his music career overshadowed his love for soccer.

Though he did not get to play with the legends, he still managed to secure a seat with greats at a dining table in Qatar.

The photos he shared on Twitter has earned him some bragging rights from Ghanaians who have expressed envy.

King Promise is currently on a sponsored trip to Qatar to rally behind the Ghana Black Stars who have won their first game against South Korea and are anticipating their next match.

Black Stars will fixture against Uruguay at 3:00pm on Friday, a decider on which team moves to the knockout stage.

With three points for Ghana and a lone point for Uruguay, both teams are battling for the slot only second to Portugal who are leading the Group H for the 2022 World Cup.

The former Chelsea star polled only 21 votes in a three-way race, with the two other candidates, Yacine Idriss Diallo (59) and Sory Diabate (50) polling more than double his tally. Diallo won a second round to decide the presidency of the federation.

Drogba’s candidacy had been disputed last year when he first attempted to stand for election but did not receive the required support from clubs and other interest groups, such as the players’ union and coaches’ association, whose nominations he needed to get on the ballot.

FIFA then stepped in to dissolve the federation, putting the control of Ivorian football under a ‘normalisation committee’ while the statutes and electoral code were rewritten.

It allowed Drogba, 44, to stand but while he received much public encouragement, he garnered little support inside the Ivorian football community.

Earlier this week he was accused of pulling out of a live television debate with the other two candidates hours before it was due to be aired on television, according to a statement released by the state broadcaster. The debate went ahead without him.

The Ivory Coast hosts next year’s Africa Cup of Nations final.

A total of six candidates, including outgoing vice president Idriss Diallo, have been approved by FIF’s Fifa-installed normalization committee to stand in the polls on 23 April.

The voting was originally scheduled to be carried out in September 2020 but has been repeatedly postponed because of ongoing issues over the eligibility of certain candidates, including Drogba.

“The candidacy for the presidency of the Ivorian football federation is closed,” Mariam Dao Gabala, president of the FIF normalization committee, announced at a news conference.

“Six candidates have been registered. They are Yatte Ellele Jean-Baptiste, Arnaud Aka, Laurent Kouakou, Idriss Diallo, Sory Diabate and Didier Drogba,”

Drogba played more than 100 times for the Elephants, including at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, but was told in August 2020 that he was not eligible to stand in the election.

After intervention from the world governing body Fifa, the 44-year-old, who won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and the Champions League across two spells with Chelsea, retains his hopes of running the game in the West African country.

READ ALSO

• He is useless – Hearts of Oak chief slams referee after…

• Prosper Ogum satisfied with Kotoko’s win over Hearts of Oak

The former BBC African Footballer of the Year formally submitted his forms on Monday and reiterated his desire to change the face of the Ivorian game.

“Finally here we are,” Drogba said.

“I can’t wait for the campaign to start. Have strong faith in me to bring Ivorian football to life if elected.”

Last week Drogba told BBC Sport Africa: “I can bring the change that the federation and the clubs need. Football isn’t rising the way it should and the way we want it in Ivory Coast.”

Drogba also appeared for French sides Guingamp and Marseille, Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, Turkey’s Galatasaray, and MLS outfit Montreal Impact during his playing career.

He won a Turkish title with Galatasaray and became the Ivory Coast’s all-time top scorer before retiring in 2018.

Ivory Coast are two-time champions of Africa, having won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1992 and 2015, and will host the 2023 edition of the Nations Cup.

Ongoing issues over the eligibility of candidates – including former Ivory Coast captain Drogba – have caused an 18-month delay of proceedings, with the polls originally earmarked for September 2020.

The latest polls were set to be held on 23 March but these have now been called off, without a new date being set.

A normalisation committee appointed by world governing body Fifa has been running the game in the West African country since December 2020.

Both Fifa and the Confederation of African Football (Caf) sent a joint letter to the FIF last Friday expressing concerns about the electoral process, leading to the latest delay.

A statement by Mariam Dao Gabala, president of FIF’s normalisation committee, said the decision had been taken to “find an adequate response to the provision relating to sponsorships [backers for candidates]”.

She added the electoral process would resume “as soon as possible”.

Ivory Coast will host the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which is scheduled to be held in June and July next year.

• Renewed hope for Drogba?

Drogba, who made more than 100 international appearances for the Elephants, was told in August 2020 that he and another candidate were not eligible to stand in the polls to become FIF president.

The 43-year-old had been greeted by a large crowd at FIF headquarters in Abidjan when he submitted his application.

The federation’s electoral commission ruled that Drogba and the other candidate did not meet its long list of eligibility criteria, owing to technicalities regarding those who had sponsored their nominations.

Drogba’s candidacy was rejected after two of his needed eight backers were found to have also given their support to a rival.

Fifa stepped in soon after and put a halt to the elections as it demanded to see various documents, giving Drogba hope that FIF’s decision would be reversed.

The election process was delayed again in December 2020 when Fifa installed a normalisation committee to run Ivorian football until new elections could be organised.

That mandate was initially scheduled to expire at the end of 2021, but it has been extended until the end of this month – and it appears the election process is yet to satisfy Fifa and Caf.

The German gaffer before the 33rd edition of the AFCON described the tournament as a “little tournament” – a statement he later clarified as being sarcastic.

Klopp came under intense pressure for his comments.

In response to a video showing the wild celebrations in Dakar after Senegal’s first-ever AFCON triumph, Drogba tweeted, “A « little tournament » that means a lot for us Africans.”

The final was contested between Senegal and Egypt, both led by Liverpool stars, Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah – with Senegal edging it 4-2 on penalties.

The win means, Senegal have won their first continental title after Sadio Mane scored a crucial penalty kick having failed to convert one in regulation time to lift the trophy.

The former Chelsea star has been at odds with the AFI ever since they refused to back him in his bid to become the president of his country’s FA last year. 

The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) sided with Drogba in that dispute and has placed the AFI under indefinite suspension.

Drogba has also called out a culture of inaction at AFI that from his perspective has let down their constituents.

• What has been said?

“To all Ivorian football players … I hereby announce that a few weeks ago, I took the decision to resign from my position as vice-president of the AFI and at the same time from its Steering Committee,” Drogba wrote in the letter.

“We are all aware of the financial difficulties you are facing in the face of the inaction of the majority of the leaders of the AFI, which is supposed to represent you and defend your rights and interests.

“The AFI is at a standstill. It no longer meets your needs or expectations. The bad decisions that have followed one another have led to the deterioration of the very fundamentals of the organisation,” he said.

The former striker specified that members of AFI had failed to properly consult players on key decisions and generally demonstrated disrespect towards those they represent.

READ ALSO

• Kotoko congratulate rivals Hearts of Oak after domestic double

• Partey to sit out for weeks after injury against Chelsea

“I join in your incomprehension in the face of this flagrant lack of coherence,” he added. “The AFI belongs to you (the players). Be firmly convinced, it will be returned to you!”

• Drogba blocked from the Ivorian Football Association presidency

The AFI is one of the five bodies that can sponsor a candidate in the Ivory Coast FA election, but last summer the group backed incumbent vice-president of the FA, Idriss Diallo, for the presidential seat over a member of their own ranks.

Because of that move, Drogba could not officially enter the race.

In response to being suspended by FIFPro for not choosing Drogba, the AFI wrote: “[We] would like to recall that we are completely independent and take our positions at the national level, in taking into account the best interests of Ivorian footballers.

“From its creation to this day, AFI has always worked in full transparency in the interest of its members. This is why it wishes to reassure all of its members of its commitment to the defense of their interests and respect for their choices and orientations for Ivorian football.”

The 43-year-old, who is Chelsea’s fourth-highest goalscorer of all-time with 164 goals in 381 appearances, not only led Ivory Coast to three World Cups but played a vital role in the peace process in the West African nation.

One of his most notable acts came in 2005 after Ivory Coast beat Sudan to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. Amid civil war, Drogba invited TV cameras into the team’s changing room after the game and made a speech begging his country to end the conflict. This led to a ceasefire after years of violence.

In 2007, Drogba was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme and in 2009, he donated £3m of his endorsement with Pepsi for a hospital to be built in his hometown of Abidjan.

READ ALSO

• Check out lovely reunion photo of Michael Essien and Drogba

• Andre Ayew wins top award at Swansea City

Last year, Drogba was hailed as a “pioneer” by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and was selected to receive the 2020 UEFA President’s Award.

Ceferin said Ivory Coast’s all-time leading scorer joined players such as George Weah and Samuel Eto’o to: “Blaze a trail for African footballers and give inspiration to a whole new generation to look to follow in their footsteps.”

Drogba’s work was recognised by the Network of Universities of Science and Technology of the Countries of Africa South of the Sahara in the form of an honorary degree.

In the photo, Drogba had his arm wrapped around Essien’s neck as they beam with smiles for the camera.

Elated Drogba took to his social media pages to share the photo after the meeting in Cote d’Ivoire, Abidjan after a long time.

He backed the lovely photo with a profound message to eulogise Mr Essien and wished him well in the years ahead.

He wrote: Great to see you my brother Essien, keep on inspiring the youth and all the best in your future.

ALSO READ:

• Michael Essien joins Chelsea’s Champions League triumph celebrations

• Mikel Obi, Drogba react as Chelsea win Champions League final

The post saw Essien take to Drogba’s comment section to thank him for his kind words.

The duo played together from 2005 to 2012. They were key players in the Chelsea squad that won the UEFA Champions League trophy for the first time in the history of the club.

Read the post below:

Great to see you my Brother @michaelessien @chelseafc ?
Keep on inspiring the youths and all the best in your future ? #Thetrain #bison #themetronome ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/c4cMeaLhyJ

— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) June 1, 2021

The Blues beat Manchester City 1-0 in Porto on Saturday, to be crowned as kings of Europe for the second time in their history.

Kai Havertz’s 42nd-minute effort separated both teams in Portugal.

Mikel Obi, who represented the club for 11 years before departing for China’s Tianjin Teda in 2017, sent his warm messages to his former club.

“Well done boys, we are the blues,” the Stoke City midfielder wrote.

For Didier Drogba, he lauded the team captained by Cesar Azpilicueta for their confidence.

“We believed, they believed,” according to the 43-year-old.

We believed ⭐️ ⭐️ @ChelseaFC @ChampionsLeague ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/2l5EFJFL10

— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) May 29, 2021

The two-time African Player of the Year enjoyed an unforgettable spell with the English club following his move from Olympique Marseille in July 2004 for £24 million.

There, he won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three Carabao Cups and two FA Community Shields.

The 20-year-old forward previously had spells in the Chelsea youth set-up and with the under-19 and B teams at French side Guingamp.

Didier Drogba also played for Guingamp before joining Marseille in 2003.

READ ALSO

• Coach Opeele bares teeth at Accra Hearts of Oak

• We are in crisis – Hearts of Oak’s Kosta Papic declares

He joined Chelsea a year later and went on to win four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League.

Didier Drogba, who also won a Turkish title with Galatasaray, became Ivory Coast’s all-time top scorer before retiring in 2018.

The former Ivory Coast forward was seen bare-chested in bed with a scantily-clad woman last year.

Afrik Foot reported that Drogba’s entourage had claimed that the clip was part of an advert to promote measures against Covid-19.

Drogba told his Instagram following of almost 10 million that: “I’m not in the habit of discussing my private life.

“But because of speculation in the media today, I can confirm that sadly, after 20 years together, Lalla and I took the difficult decision to separate last year.

READ ALSO

• Kotoko set to unveil partnership deal with English Premier League club

• Athletic Club stun Real Madrid to set up Supercopa final with Barcelona

“We remain very close and our main priorities have been to protect our children and our family’s private life. May God bless you.”

Chelsea’s second-highest scorer of all time met his wife in the late 1990s in Paris, marrying her in 2011, by which time he had won three of his four Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge.

They have three children so Drogba wished his wife and mother a Happy Mother’s Day on social media last year.

The 2012 Champions League winner ended his second spell at Chelsea in 2015 and retired in 2018.

According to the Ivory Coast Football Federation (FIF) Electoral Commission, the striker failed to meet a number of conditions in its eligibility criteria.

Two names he had submitted as his sponsors were declared not to have the necessary authority to do so.

Moreover, different officials from the same organisation also signed his papers with the FIF ruling that they had no authority to do so.

READ ALSO

• Usain Bolt awaits coronavirus test results

• Muntari declares readiness to play for Kotoko but …

Consequently, he only has the support of two top-tier Côte d’Ivoire clubs rather than the mandated three out of the 14 available teams.

Côte d’Ivoire’s all-time top scorer has faced a number of challenges in his bid to lead the FIF. Despite being a hugely popular figure, he failed to win the backing of a number of important associations to galvanize his bid.

The former Chelsea striker previously said his candidacy is driven by a desire to transform the sport in the country.

FIF’s current first vice president, Sory Diabate, and Yacine Idriss Diallo, a former FIF 3rd vice-president, are the candidates left in contention after another application by Paul Koffi Kouadio was also rejected.

The striker and Mr Kouadio now have a five-day window to appeal against the decision.

The vote has turned into a soap opera marred by incessant infighting, attracting international attention because FIF had appeared to be trying to freeze out Didier Drogba as a potential candidate.

READ ALSO

• GFA boss lauds Oti Akenteng’s contribution to Ghana football

• Harry Maguire released by Greek prosecutor after court appearance

A FIF emergency committee ruled the electoral commission was “suspended for serious shortcomings” and scheduled an extraordinary general meeting on August 29 to install another commission.