Didier Drogba Set to Return to Ivory Coast Camp
Injured Star Didier Drogba had a successful surgery and will be returning to the Ivory Coast camp as they continue their preparation for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.
The 32-year old forward broke his right arm when he and Marcus Tulio Tanaka clashed in their friendly game against Japan in Switzerland. Drogba grimaced in pain and he immediately left the stadium clutching his arm.
The Elephants' all time leading scorer is currently recovering from the surgery and there were no clear reports whether he can play in their World Cup opener against Portugal on June 15. There were reports that Drogba, who is also currently under contract with Chelsea, will not be able to suit up for the tournament because the injury is more serious than reported. However, the Ivory Coast squad is still optimistic that he can make a grand return later in the tournament.
"He was taken urgently to a medical centre in Sion, where x-rays revealed a fracture in the player's right forearm area. Didier Drogba's state of health is the object of all the attention of the Elephants' medical staff and of distinguished specialists. The Ivory Coast Football Federation stress that the striker Didier Drogba has not, for the moment, been ruled out of the 2010 World Cup." Ivorian Federation Spokesman Roger Kouassi said.
"He's not at all out of the World Cup. He can still play. We don't know if he will be able to play the first game - that depends on the verdict of the medical team. But he's definitely not out of the tournament." he added.
He also stressed that the recovery of the two-time CAF African Player of the Year has been extremely encouraging and all the signs are good. He also declared that their team captain can rejoin the team’s practice as soon as possible.
Drogba’s teammates are also hoping that their star will be able to play with them and give the Ivory Coast a decent finish in the most anticipated event of the year.
"It's difficult for us to lose such a really important player.He's such an important player, he's a really important player even if he's not on the pitch, to have him with us, it would be really nice to have us by our side, we hope he will come back." Ivory Coast Defender Kolo Toure said.
In the disastrous friendly game against Japan, Drogba actually scored the first goal of the game before that freaky incident. Ivory Coast Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson however saw nothing wrong about Tulio’s intention and it was just an unfortunate turn of events.
"Of course I am worried, he's our captain and one of the best players in the world. It was unlucky; Tulio didn't want to hurt anyone. Football is a game of contact." Coach Eriksson said.
The Ivory Coast captain was also his country's first ever scorer in the FIFA World Cup. He has already scored 43 goals for the Elephants in his 66 appearances with the team but he hasn't give his country the biggest glory yet.
Drogba led the Elephants to their first ever World Cup appearance in the 2006 Edition in Germany. But their lack of experience obviously affected their campaign as they suffered an early exit after bowing out to World Cup powerhouses Argentina and Netherlands.
The 32-year old striker also helped the Elephants to a runner-up finish in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. And in the 2008 editon of the tournament, they reached the semifinals but they were defeated, 4-1, which shut the door for a second straight finals appearance.
Drogba said last October in an interview that he will be doing his very best in the World Cup because they’re not just representing Ivory Coast, but also the millions of Africans.
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