Rest assured, Côte d’Ivoire will not find itself in the same situation as Cameroon, whose Football Federation (Fecafoot) had a president – Samuel Eto’o – less than a month before the kick-off of the CAN that he was organizing, and after being directed by a standardization committee. Côte d’Ivoire will organize the next edition of the great rout of African football in 2023, and, on Saturday April 23, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF), which has also been placed since December 2020 under the rule of a standardization committee. , will return to normal operation.
As in Cameroon, a former icon of international football is targeting the estate of Augustin Sidy Diallo – the former president of the FIF, who died in November 2020 from Covid-19. Didier Drogba (44), ex-captain of the Elephants and ex-striker of Marseille and Chelsea, had announced, at the beginning of 2020, his candidacy for an election several times postponed. Despite his immense career and popularity making him – among football fans, players, members of the government and deputies – the suitable candidate, Drogba is not the favorite of this election. Sory Diabaté, the former vice-president of Sidy Diallo and the businessman Idriss Diallo, former member of the FIF and vice-president of Afad, a Ligue 1 club, are even ahead of him in unofficial polls, carried out with the 81 members (76 clubs and 5 interest groups) of the electoral college.
Drogba too sure of himself?
Didier Drogba is confident. He believes in it, as he declared during a press conference on April 18 in Abidjan. “After April 23, a new era will begin. My priority will be to collect. Yes, I think I have every chance of winning this election. But he was unable to convince the majority of clubs and the Association of Ivorian Footballers (AFI), of which he was one of the founding members.
Having been a great footballer does not necessarily make you a favourite, Drogba may have overlooked this aspect
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Fifa nevertheless viewed Drogba’s election favorably, but Patrice Motsepe, the president of CAF, was unable to convince Alassane Ouattara, the Ivorian head of state, to promote a consensus around the candidacy of the former goalscorer. “His program has interesting aspects, on the training of young people or the development of women’s football for example, but Drogba lacks experience. He is also criticized for not being interested in the problems of Ivorian football when he was active, for being a little too sure of himself and distant. Having been a great footballer does not necessarily make you a favorite, and he may have neglected this aspect, ”breathes the leader of a Ligue 1 club.
Slightly favorite diabaté
A few hours before the end of the official campaign and the election scheduled for Saturday in Yamoussoukro, Sory Diabaté and Idriss Diallo seem to be ahead of Drogba in voting intentions. The former is even considered to be a slight favourite. And revels in this position in pole position. “The trend seems to be favourable,” says Diabaté. But nothing is done, however. I presented a realistic program, focusing on the main concerns of the clubs. »
Ivorian football must shine through its clubs, and not just through its national team
Anyone who wants to increase subsidies for Ligue 1, Ligue 2 and Division 3 clubs wants to guarantee a minimum salary for players, depending on the division in which they play. “We have to make the championship more attractive. I want to renegotiate the TV rights with Canal+, to whom Ivorian football owes a lot, and develop the sale of derivative products, with a FIF shop,” he says.
For Sory Diabaté, state investment is essential, at least temporarily. “The state is ready to commit, until the clubs find other sources of income. The more attractive our championship will be, the more it will interest sponsors and the public. Ivorian football must shine through its clubs, and not just through its national team. If he wins, Diabaté promises to offer his two opponents to reach out to them and “work together”. “The campaign is taking place in a serene climate, assures Diabaté. Contacts exist with Idriss and Didier. »
Diallo believes in his luck
Like his two opponents, Idriss Diallo believes in his luck. The businessman can also take advantage of the significant support of several clubs, but also of the referees. Unlike Diabaté, he does not rely on a strong commitment from the state. “This one can’t do everything. It organizes the CAN in 2023. If I am elected, I can assure the Ivorian clubs that a whole pool of economic partners will join us. We will renegotiate the TV rights. My plan is realistic. I want to increase the budget of the FIF, by increasing it from 6 to 9 billion CFA francs. I could say that I will triple it, or even more, I have ambitious but reasonable goals. I advocate transparent and sound management. »
The former vice-president of the FIF under the reign of Jacques Anouma, to whom he remained close, wants to “establish a minimum wage for professional players, relaunch competitions for young people who have been at a standstill for years, an aberration in a country like Côte d’Ivoire, a veritable breeding ground for talent. If I am elected, I would reach out to Drogba and Diabaté, I would quickly convene a seminar with the actors of Ivorian football, and I would invite Jean-Michel Aulas, the president of Olympique Lyonnais, who is a reference in the field good management. One thing is certain, whoever the lucky winner is, his first challenge will be to find a national coach very quickly, since the contract of Frenchman Patrice Beaumelle, which expired on April 6, has not been renewed.
