If this is the era of the footballer as activist, then Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is the poster boy for this new movement.
Speaking to the Mail & Guardian at a Sandton hotel on Sunday, the nonchalant Drogba is sporting a pair of designer jeans that are loose enough to show his designer Dolce and Gabbana briefs, and his laid-back look is completed by a pair of All Star takkies.
He was named this week by former Brazilian World Cup-winning coach Luiz Scolari as one of a triumvirate of players who engineered his demise at English Premier League giants Chelsea after only seven months at the helm. Scolari accused Drogba, Michael Ballack and Petr Cech of being members of a ”player power” movement at the Blues.
But whatever his adroitness at the politics of soccer, his activist skills have been evident on larger stages as well. When civil war erupted in his native Côte d’Ivoire six years ago, it was Drogba who, as captain of the national team, convinced his teammates to help mend the rift between the government and rebel troops.
Led by Drogba the team resolved to use their popularity to unite the country after reflecting that their own ranks included players from warring north and south regions of the country. It was also Drogba, winner of the 2006 African footballer of the season, who persuaded Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo to allow the team to play a game in the rebel-held north.
”You do not need to be a politician to be listened to,” he tells the M&G. ”I think I am lucky to be known and to play in a big team. I try to use this voice the right way. I can’t say that we stopped the war. I think the message we gave was a big contribution. At least everybody calmed down and started the peace process,” he says as he reminisces about the national team’s feat.
Drogba is not interested in branching out into politics, but he believes that footballers can become effective politicians and says he ”respects” the efforts of George Weah, who in 2005 unsuccessfully ran for president of Liberia.
On that other site of conflict — the playing field — the 31-year-old Chelsea striker is considered a late bloomer. He turned professional only at the age of 21 when he joined French team Le Mans, before moving to Guingamp in 2001. He later signed for Olympique de Marseille where he won the footballer of the season award in 2003/2004 for his 19 goals. In July 2004 the married father of three was scooped by Chelsea for £24-million.
On the international front he made his debut against South Africa in 2002. He helped his country qualify for their first World Cup in Germany in 2006. Unfortunately they were drawn into the ”Group of Death” and did not advance to the next round.
Despite this, ”I think that was a very good experience. Now we are more mature and we now know that the mistakes we made that we will not repeat,” Drogba says.
He attributes the ”quality” of current and former Côte d’Ivoire national team players to the famous Asec Mimosa Academy, which was formed in 1993. ”The academy was our strength and we need to keep going in that direction to prepare young talent because this is how football is developed,” he says.
It was this academy that produced Barcelona defensive midfielder Yaya Toure, who ironically had to tussle with Drogba in a heated semifinal. That controversial game earned Drogba a six-match suspension. Drogba smiles when he thinks back to his tussle with Toure.
Yaya’s [Toure] status has completely changed from one season to another. If he had not played in the semifinals we would have won the game and I would have scored. He reads the game very quickly. He knew my movements and everything. Actually, for me this season he is the best defender I played against,” says Drogba.
The former Ivorian footballer of the year’s smile fades as he recalls the recent stampede at the Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan in a World Cup qualifier against Malawi where 22 people died and 132 were injured. ”We did not know when we were playing because it happened outside the stadium. We were really disappointed and surprised when we found out,” says Drogba.
His impressions of South Africa’s hosting of the Confederations Cup are ”positive”. ”Stadiums were full and the organisation was good. I was not really worried about the organisation because I was here five or six years ago and I know what South Africans can do. I know that they can organise big events,” he says.
The quality of football was also high — with some surprises, he says. ”Teams like the US showed us that the Cup is always full of surprises. Bafana did well and they improved from the last Africa Nations Cup. And we’ve seen so many teams like Egypt show that African teams can do well. But Brazil is still Brazil.”
And the prospect of an African team winning next year’s World Cup? ”You know, the World Cup is only seven games. I am not saying that those games are really easy to play. I think it is possible if you are well prepared, if your desire is strong, if your togetherness is really strong as well as support. There is a chance.”