How Didier Drogba Stopped a Civil War

Didier Drogba had numerous highlights during his football career, and during his nine years at Stamford Bridge, he became a Chelsea icon. None of them, not even his effort against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final to give the Blues their first Champions League trophy, can compare to this.

A terrible civil conflict tore Ivory Coast apart on October 8, 2005. Countrymen had previously been united under a single banner, but now they were split between the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south.

While the war was raging, On a Sudanese football pitch over 4,000 kilometres away, eleven Ivory Coast players stood side by side. Victory in this match and Cameroon failing to win against Egypt would send them to the first-ever World cup.

Didier Drogba and his teammates did their share, defeating Sudan 3–1.

The game in Cameroon was approaching its closing minutes, and the score was 1–1. Cameroon was given an injury-time penalty with the score, and it appeared that Ivory Coast would be missing from football’s biggest tournament once more.

The national squad of Ivory Coast crowded around a radio. The players, who came from all across the country, were unified in their hope.

The entire country of Ivory Coast held its breath as Pierre Womé stepped forward to take the penalty. Womé hit the post, the Ivory Coast qualified for the World Cup.

The players deservedly rejoiced, but it wasn’t long before Drogba’s thoughts drifted to the civil war that had raged in his country since 2002. He grabbed the microphone and addressed his fellow Ivorians.

“Men and women of Ivory Coast. From the north, south, centre, and west, we proved today that all Ivorians can coexist and play together with a shared aim — to qualify for the World Cup”

“We promised you that the celebrations would unite the people — today we beg you on our knees.”

The players then fell to their knees as Drogba added

“The one country in Africa with so many riches must not descend into war. Please lay down your weapons and hold elections.”

After the speech, the players rose and sang:

“We want to have fun, so stop firing your guns!”

Drogba’s acts sparked a revolution in the country. The footage of his address was shown on Ivorian television 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it ultimately brought the two warring parties to the negotiation table, where a truce was signed.

This was far from the conclusion of the story.

The following year, while on a tour of the Ivory Coast’s rebel-controlled north, he declared that the national team’s match against Madagascar on June 3, 2007, would be staged in the rebel stronghold of Bouake.

It was an attempt to bring the country back together, as he came from the south. It was a huge success at the time, with a 5–0 victory highlighted by Drogba’s last goal, which sparked nationwide celebrations.

Drogba had helped restore peace to his country, although only momentarily, as the national team’s leader and spokesperson.

What happened next, on the other hand, was tragically quite different. The enthusiasm around those two matches began to wane as divides deepened and memories faded. After disputed elections five years later, violence erupted again in the nation, killing 3,000 people and leading to President Gbagbo’s arrest and ultimate prosecution at the Hague for crimes against humanity.

However, this March he was acquitted of all charges by the International Criminal Court.

The ‘golden generation’ of Ivory Coast never lived up to their potential, losing on penalties in both the 2006 and 2012 African Cup of Nations finals. As a result, their popularity plummeted. Perhaps it was just difficult to follow up on the events of 2005 and 2007.

Drogba resigned from football in 2018 following a spectacular career that saw victory in six nations and cemented his place among Africa’s — if not the world’s — greats. But he and his teammates were responsible for considerably more than simply football success.

But we must never forget how Drogba and his Ivorian teammates gave their country hope during its darkest hour.