Didier Drogba 'retires' from international football
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has reportedly retired from international football, it was revealed today.
The Ivory Coast’s new manager Francois Zahoui had paid a visit to the forward to invite him to play for his country against Rwanda in an African Cup of Nations qualifying match in Saturday, but the 32-year-old has declined the call-up.
Zahoui, giving a press conference in the Ivory Coast capital Abidjan, told reporters that Drogba said he needed a break from international action due to tiredness.
The manager said that: “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.”
Several pundits have claimed that Drogba’s withdrawal is instead due to his frustration with being criticised by the Ivorian Football Federation and the set-up of the national team. However, IFF president Jacques Anouma claimed that the association had no problem with the country’s former captain.
No official announcement
The fact may remain that the player intends to continue playing with the Ivory Coast, but as yet, Drogba has not made any official announcement over his future with the national team.
Drogba made his international debut in September 2002 against South Africa, and he scored his first goal for his country against Cameroon in February 2003. He captained the Ivory Coast to the African Cup of Nations final in 2006, but they lost on penalties to Egypt.
At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Drogba became the first African player to score against Brazil in a World Cup match as he netted in a 3-1 loss in the group stage. He is his country’s all time top scorer after netting 45 times in 71 international matches.
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