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Didier Drogba World Cup 2010 Football Picture

7 Days To Go: One Week!

One week to go!
7 days before the start of the 2010 World Cup and I can hardly believe it!
Lots of news today, so let's get to it ...

Today's Tidbits

1 - Since I started writing this site, one of the main protagonists has been the Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba. He's on magazine covers, won tons of accolades and is one of the faces of Africa's first World Cup.

BAD news today, as Drogba is set to miss the 2010 World Cup.

According to reports, Drogba is set to miss the Cup with a suspected fractured elbow after he was forced off in a friendly against Japan. Drogba had put his country 1-0 ahead with a free-kick in the 15th minute before going down following a challenge from the Japan defender Tulio – off whom Drogba's goal had deflected in – and he left the pitch in visible distress.

Drogba was immediately taken to hospital in Sion, Switzerland, where the Ivorians have been undergoing altitude training. "Of course I am worried, he's our captain and one of the best players in the world," said the Ivory Coast manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, who attached no blame to Tulio. "It was unlucky, he didn't want to hurt anyone. Football is a game of contact."

Just bad, bad news ... at the age of 32, will we ever see Drogba in a World Cup again?

2 - MORE injury news, as England's captain Rio Ferdinand will miss the World Cup.

This after injuring his left knee in training.

The England captain broke down after a tackle in the final few minutes of his team's first training session since landing in South Africa, and was taken to hospital for a scan.

The results of the scan are believed to indicate knee ligament damage and the 31-year-old will take no further part in the World Cup.

Michael Dawson, who was part of Fabio Capello's initial 30-man squad, is the likely replacement, while Steven Gerrard will be promoted to the captaincy.

UGGH!!

3 - Team USA plays one more friendly, against Australia, before the start of next week's Cup.

4 - Speaking of Team USA, is the opening match against England the Revenge of the Colonies??

Sounds like a Star Wars movie.

5 - Fears and frustration temper the pride many locals feel about hosting the World Cup, according to the Guardian's Anna Kessel.

What I Think I Think

A week away and just a question:

Who do you think will win the 2010 World Cup?

I'll write an analysis of my thoughts tomorrow.

Didier Drogba Football Wallpapers

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Didier Drogba

Didier Yves Drogba Tébily wallpaper

Didier Drogba for Chelsea

Didier Drogba in action

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Didier Drogba wallpaper #2

Didier Drogba from Pantai Gading

Tragdey in the Ivory Coast

For a moment, we turn away from World Cup qualifying and football to focus on real-world issues.

As many of you know, 22 football fans were killed in a match stampede in Abidjan, Ivory Coast this weekend.

More than 130 people were injured when a wall collapsed at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium shortly before a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.

It's a tremendous tragedy for the burgeoning African football power.

According to reports in The Daily Telegraph, part of a wall fell over. As collective anxiety grew into hysteria, policemen allegedly exacerbated the panic by firing tear gas into the crowd.

The tragedy occurred before the match kicked off, as supporters rushed to get into the arena. The long lines that caused the disaster are largely due to an inefficient ticketing system that means it is impossible for fans to reserve seats in advance, as numerical ordering systems are never adhered to, according to news sources.

Fans wait outside for hours in the hope of landing one of the best seats.

At least 22 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the accident. A further 134 individuals are reported as being injured.

The match was attended by over 50,000 fans, many of whom were eager to see the return of Didier Drogba, a hero in his native land, who netted two of the Ivorians' goals in a result that pales into insignificance alongside this tragedy.

On Tuesday, a member of the Malawi team that lost to the Ivory Coast 5-0 told the BBC his side had been aware of the deaths before playing the game.

"We thought that maybe the referee would ask us to pay one minute's silence, but nothing was said, so we just carried on," said defender Elvis Kafoteka.

Ivory Coast's President Laurent Gbagbo declared the three days of mourning and said the cause of the accident needed to be known to prevent such a tragedy happening again.

Following a special cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Guillaume Soro said he had advised Mr Gbagbo to establish a committee to "study, analyze and take account of all the failings that can lead to such tragic events."

"The government will take an active part in caring for those wounded and in organising funerals," AFP news agency quoted Mr Soro as saying.

MY POV: Horrible tragedy in the Ivory Coast and my heart goes out to the people who perished. While Africa has become synonymous with these types of incidents in the last few years, there's no basis to some of the calls by journalists and pundits to move the World Cup from Africa.

For one, these events are isolated. They happen, but not often. It'd be unfair to point at Africa as the only continent where this happens.

Second, South Africa's infrastructure is much more 'advanced' than the Ivory Coast's or some of the other poorer countries' infrastructure. I hate to say it that way, but it's true. South Africa has a complex ticketing system, trained security, a solid system in place for crowd control, etc.

An incident like this wouldn't take place at the World Cup.

Here's a quote from the Guardian's Paul Doyle, who wrote an excellent article about this.

Africa is not just one big homogeneous blob. Anyone who cares to look will see it offers a continent's worth of diversity. So systematically suggesting, as some have done, that Sunday's stadium disaster in the Ivory Coast means the 2010 World Cup should not be held in South Africa is like demanding London be stripped of the 2012 Olympics following a tragedy in Moldova.

South Africa has plenty of experience of hosting major events and, indeed, the Indian Premier League will shortly get under way there having been shifted from Asia over security fears and the British and Irish Lions will tour there this summer. Neither of those entail as daunting a logistical operation as football's global jamboree but they do attest to a certain expertise in staging tournaments.

Match-day culture has changed in South Africa. For many major matches it is not possible to buy tickets from the turnstiles on the day of the game. For Saturday's inaugural match at the refurbished Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, for example, only fans who had bought their tickets well beforehand got to see the Bafana Bafana beat Norway 2–1. There was a capacity 42,000 crowd and no trouble. In Abidjan on Sunday, ticketless fans were also warned not to come to the ground but unlike in Rustenburg, where surrounding streets were sealed off, it seems there was no effective plan for preventing thousands from going right up to the gate in the hope of blagging their way in anyway.

Now's not the time to walk away from Africa and the World Cup, but to embrace and make sure everything's ready for the grand event. The continent deserves that reinforcement.

Drogba Back to Marseille?

Can it be? Might Chelsea striker Didier Drogba be on his way back to former club Marseille?

According to the BBC, Marseille president Pape Diouf insists he will do everything possible to bring Didier Drogba back to the French club.

The Ivory Coast star joined Chelsea from Marseille in 2004 and spoke recently about the possibility of "finishing his adventure" with them.

Diouf admits Marseille cannot match the wages Drogba earns at Chelsea but thinks there could be ways around it.

"You can't exclude thinking of other scenarios, like the boy accepting a pay cut, efforts on our part," he said.

"We must talk to our supporters in adult language," Diouf told 10 Sport, a French sports magazine.

"They know we do what we say, and vice-versa. To say to them, 'We are going to win the Champions League' or 'Drogba is going to return', I will not allow myself to do it - that would be showing them a lack of respect. On the other hand, to say to them, 'Like you, I really want Drogba to come back and if there is a possibility of doing it, I will do it', that I can guarantee them. Each time I see him, I say to him, 'Now Didier, get your bags together and come back here!"'

Just last moth Marseille had dismissed talk of a move for Drogba, labeling him "inaccessible" at the moment.

MY POV: That could make for some drama, eh? But seriously, I can't see Drogba returning there just yet. Maybe after a move to Italy or Spain.

Didier Drogba Football Wallpaper

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Drogba Football Wallpaper

Drogba Best Football Player

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Didier Drogba Football Wallpaper

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Drogba Football Wallpaper

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Drogba: 2010 Africa's Best Chance

Enigmatic Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba thinks the 2010 World Cup will be Africa’s best chance to win the tournament when South Africa host the tournament.

“I think this World Cup in Africa is very important, for the continent, not only for the Ivory Coast and not only for me,” the Chelsea star said.

“This will be the best chance for an African team to win the World Cup but it’s not going to be easy. We still have to qualify and it’ll be a big battle as the teams are tough.”

The Elephants, who played at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, have reached the final phase of African qualifiers from which five teams will qualify for the World Cup.

Drogba also said he was glad he stayed at Chelsea after being linked with both Milan clubs in the last transfer window amid speculation he would leave the English Premier League club.
He developed a close relationship with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and media reports speculated that he would follow the Portuguese coach when he took over at Inter Milan.

But Drogba said, “This (Chelsea) is the club which suits me best. I think, because this is the only club where I won all the titles I have now and, yes, I’m happy to be here and stay with my friends.”

Drogba has seen little action under Chelsea’s new manager Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, recovering from knee surgery after the season began.

He then suffered another knee injury against CFR Cluj in the Champions League in Romania two weeks ago.

MY POV: I think the only reason Drogba's happy he stayed at Chelsea is because no one bothered to pony up the money to sign him ...

I'm also not so sure this is Africa's best chance at World Cup glory.

I think the pressure to perform in front of the home fans may derail some African teams.
They may be looking to impress so much that it'll cost them in the end.

All this talk is premature until the five African nations in the 2010 Cup are known. Until then, everything is up in the air ...

Drogba and the Champions League Final

As one of Africa's greatest stars, Didier Drogba certainly demands our respect.

Not only is he a world-class athlete, but he's also a champion of human causes, specifically in his native Ivory Cooast.

It's with this in mind that I find what Drogba did on Wednesday's Champions League final so bemusing.

For those that don't know, Drogba was red-carded in extra time of the final for lightly slapping Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic in the face. As Henry Winter of the Daily Telegraph puts it,

If a night crammed with heroes offered up one villain it had to be Didier Drogba, deservedly expelled for slapping Nemanja Vidic. If this brilliant target-man does now exit the Bridge of sighs, he leaves with his head held low. His act of stupidity robbed Chelsea of a regular penalty-taker, so ushering Terry into the firing line.

The rest, as we all know, is history. Terry slipped, the ball sailed wide. Manchester United celebrated European glory.

Today's goal.com features a wonderful editorial from regular writer Oliver Peterson which touches on some of Drogba's issues.

Many think the Ivorian's time at Stamford Bridge is done. Jose Mourinho could come calling soon and we all know of the affection Drogba has for the 'Special One'.

While some question Drogba's abilities for his incessant whining and play-diving, it's duly noted that when he wants to, he can be one of the more prolific strikers in the world.

So why sully that during the biggest game of your career and add fuel to the fire by slapping a rival player?

The red card was deserved. Now what happens to Drogba? Here's an excerpt from the article. To see the original, please click here.

No one doubts his ability. He is more than a handful. No centre back sees Drogba’s name on an opposition teamsheet and is filled with glee. His footballing ability is not the issue here.But why cheat? And yes, it is cheating. Even today. Even in this day an age where players of bygone eras would turn in their graves at what is deemed a yellow card. At the reaction of a top class player to his fellow professionals. At the win at all costs “it’s a business, not a sport” mentality which has infested our wonderful game - now so global and deep in talent. It’s because he can. If, in the era of cameras covering every angle of the game - a player can get away with constantly (in almost every game) acting, pretending and wining, then we are in trouble. The system is at fault. Players like Drogba would be suppressed in their attempts to sway referees by their misdemeanours if only the system would be tweaked in order to extend harsh punishments on these wrongdoers. ...

If, as is widely expected, Drogba takes his big ego and his pouting lip away from Britain, and into Spain or Italy, then so be it. Most real fans within these shores wouldn’t miss him. His followers are those who condone his actions. Not true football fans.

Drogba's Love Affair with Mourinho

There are many subplots in today's all-English Champions League final in Moscow between Manchester United and Chelsea.

As far as we're concerned, we're happy to see African stars such as Michael Essien, Claude Makalele and Jon Obi Mikel get the chance to play on football's biggest stage.

But we all know who the star of Chelsea's show is: the enigmatic, charismatic Ivorian striker Didier Drogba. As Reggie Jackson of the New York Yankees once said, he's the 'straw that stirs the drink' ...

Today's New York Times 'Goal' blog has a wonderful article about Drogba and his man crush on former coach Jose Mourinho. It's an interesting read ... here are some excerpts ...

Drogba’s heart may belong to Chelsea’s former manager, Jose Mourinho, but his feet earned Avram Grant the Champions League final spot that eluded the Special One during his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

Beyond the goals, assists and shots, is Drogba’s compelling story, which is getting great attention in the news media leading up to the Champions League final Wednesday against Manchester United in Moscow. In large part it is because of the publication this week of Drogba’s autobiography, in French. The book, “C’était Pas Gagné”, adds fuel to the speculative fires that have burned around Drogba all season — he is unhappy at Chelsea, misses Mourinho, dislikes Grant and is headed to Italy as soon as the season ends. ...

Simon Kuper, writing for The Financial Times, says Drogba’s memoir takes on a peculiar emotional tone when the striker discusses his former manager, “the book’s tone shifts from merely overwrought to cheap romantic novel.”

The player’s feelings for the Portuguese tactician go well beyond respect or admiration; his love for Mourinho seems over the top to Kuper.

After Drogba scores in last year’s F.A. Cup final, thanks to Mourinho’s inspiring words, “Drogba hunts him down in the stadium’s catacombs, and they cry in each other’s arms,” reports Kuper.

The affection appears to be mutual. The Special One writes in the “pretentious preface” of the book, “Whatever, Didier will always be in my heart.”
Kuper: “Cue sunset over fields of swaying corn.”

MY POV: To read the entire article, please click here.

It's no secret that Drogba loved playing for Mourinho. The article suggests that Drogba and possibly Frank Lampard could follow Mourinho to Italy, where the Special One has said he'll coach next season.

Could today prove to be the Ivorian's swan song in Chelsea blue? The West London club's fans can only hope his goodbyes are peppered with the lifting of the Champions League trophy in the Moscow night. Drogba is truly one of the game's special players, diving controversies aside.

Today's game could go a long way to cementing Didier's legacy as one of the greatest African players of all time.

African Player of the Season

I found this interesting article on my goal.com mobile service.

I can't find it online, but you can click the above link and read the article anyways.

I think it's a fascinating look at 20 players around Europe of African descent who've shown their talent and set the continent ablaze!

Goal.com's African correspondent Awenlimobor Sylvester is wittling the list down from 20 to 5 later this week.

What do you think? Who is the African Player of the Season? Check out the article above and have your say ... Here's a sampling of what Sylvester has to say.

Emmanuel Adebayor Arsenal FC (England) Togo

The Togolese striker has undoubtedly been the main threat up front for the Gunners this season, scoring some “unbelievable” goals from truly “unbelievable” positions. He is the presently the second-highest goalscorer in the English Premiership with 24 strikes so far. Surely Adebayor has shown character and consistency despite being in an underachieving Arsenal team.

MY POV: I wouldn't say he's consistent, but then again 24 goals is nothing to sneeze at.

Didier Drogba Chelsea FC (England) Ivory Coast

The big Ivorian was able to silence his critics - Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez the biggest one of them - with killer influence in Chelsea’s 3-2 UEFA Champions League victory over Liverpool. In truth, “the Drog” has not been as prolific upfront for the Blues as he was last season, but he surely is still as lethal as ever. Just ask Rafa.
MY POV: I love the guy but he's proven to be hot and cold this season. A move away from England after this season will surely fire up his engines once again.

Taye Taiwo OLM Marseille (France) Nigeria

The 23 year old Nigerian stopper became a prominent figure in the Nigerian Soccer scene during the 2005 WYC held in the Netherlands, and has not let down his followers since then. He has shown his trademark consistency with his French club this season, helping his team to some important wins this season with his equally famous long range strikes and great headers.

MY POV: I'll be honest and say I don't know much about Taiwo. But he sure sounds like a good player ...

Frederic Kanoute Sevilla (Spain) Mali

The Sevilla front man is currently Africa’s reigning king according to CAF, and he is also presently Africa’s leading striker in the Primera Liga: a position he has held for the past two years. This season isn't his best, but he's still cutting a mean figure in Andalucía.
MY POV: Here's another guy I think would benefit from a move away from his current club. He's been rumored to be seeking a move back to his old club Tottenham. With the Spurs approach for Valencia striker David Villa rebuffed, maybe Kanoute could return a saviour.

Yaya Toure Barcelona (Spain) Ivory Coast

He is another of the few bright sparks that can be picked out from the Catalan giants' almost awful season. Toure has been a solid force in the middle of the team, helping out with several incisive tackles and putting through fantastic passes as well.

MY POV: Awful season? I guess that's what 3rd place in Spain and a Champions League semifinal berth gets you these days. Still, he has been a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster season. Much was expected of Barca. They delivered little. But awful??

African Player of the Year Idiocy: Drogba? Kanoute?

A friend of mine suggested I inject more controversy into my blog this weekend. Well, how about this?

I think the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are shooting themselves in the foot over the awarding of the African Player of the Year award to Didier Drogba.

For those that don't know the story, let me summarize.

Star-striker Didier Drogba was supposedly told by members of the CAF that he'd won their prestigious African Player of the Year award this weekend. The award is voted on by national coaches from 53 African countries.

Unfortunately, Drogba couldn't attend the awards ceremony in Togo on Friday. He had more important issues to attend to. Namely, a quarterfinal match against Guinea in the African Cup of Nations in Ghana on Sunday.

"I was told if I didn't appear the rules would change and the prize would go to the runner-up," Drogba said.

The award did go to the runner-up, Mali striker Frederic Kanoute. No doubt Kanoute is a wonderful player. But Drogba had an excellent season. So the Chelsea striker and Ivorian captain decided to pull his name from all further contentions of the award.

"This attitude doesn't honor Africa so I've pulled out of future elections."

Drogba, who won the 2006 award, said it made no sense to have the awards ceremony in another country while such a high-profile African event was going on in Ghana.

"If I refused to go to Lome (in Togo) it was first for my team-mates, as you don't organise such an event just two days before a quarter-final," the Chelsea forward said.

"I didn't go as well because the son of Ulrich Stilieke (the former Ivory Coast coach) has died. We're all working for the African continent, there's a huge media presence in Ghana for a competition that was heavily criticised 10 years ago. So there comes a time when we all have to pull together."

Ivory Coast team spokesman Jean-Claude Djacus said, “CAF has brought itself into disrepute. They called Didier on the eve of the ceremony to tell him they would give the award to Kanoute if he did not come. Didier is now saying that he does not want to be part of the 2008 vote."

I couldn't agree more with Drogba.

How silly is it to have the awards ceremony take place in Togo while the Cup of Nations, the premier African footballing event, is happening in Ghana? While it's true that Tome is not far from Accra (about 118 miles away from my research), why have Drogba travel that distance a mere two days before an important quarterfinal?

Why not hold the ceremony in Accra or another city in Ghana to allow Drogba the chance to be present?

This is another example of the CAF shooting themselves in the foot. From my outsider perspective, it's almost as if the CAF wants to remain insular. The CAF doesn't care what the outside world thinks.



You'd imagine the CAF would want to give the award to their best player, not the runner-up. This isn't to say Kanoute isn't a wonderful player. I love watching him at Sevilla and rate him an efficient striker. I'm not trying to disrespect Kanoute. I'm just trying to say that he finished in 2nd place. The award should go to Didier. And Didier couldn't make it because he was preparing for an important match. How could the CAF do what they did?

Drogba is pure class, out-and-out one of the top 3 strikers in the world when on form. Why not promote this fine talent? Why snub him during your premier tournament?

This should be a time for celebration, not for dissension. Why put these players in this position?

Ghana midfielder Michael Essien took time out from preparing with Ghana for their Sunday quarter-final with Nigeria in nearby Accra to attend the dinner.

Initially he had been refused permission to go by Claude Le Roy, but the Ghana coach relented after pressure from Essien's team-mates.

Good that he came. But imagine if Ghana had lost. You think fans and pundits wouldn't call Essien selfish for going?

Can anyone blame Drogba for not going?

Shame on the CAF for blundering this awards ceremony.

Dour Match Between Ivory Coast and Nigeria

I didn't get to watch this clash of African giants between Ivory Coast and Nigeria, but from all accounts, it wasn't the best representation of African football.

Here, a link to the Guardian Unlimited's minute-by-minute commentary on today's battle, won by Ivory Coast 1-0.

A second-half goal by Salomon Kalou gave the Elephants the 3 points.

The Chelsea striker netted on 66 minutes against the run of play to give the Elephants a dream start in Group B at the Essipon stadium.

Both teams struggled to play lively football in scorching heat, with the temperature reaching 35 degrees Celsius.

Star Ivorian striker Didier Drogba spoke out after the match.

"It is an important victory because we won against our main rival for top spot in the group," the Ivory Coast captain told a press conference.

"Nigeria were the most dangerous team and I think the most important (thing) has been done."

Drogba, who was doubtful for the match having just recovered from injury, said his personal circumstances did not matter. "Today, it's not about me, it's all about the team."

Nigeria coach Berti Vogts praised his team's efforts, saying they could hardly have done more.

"We have lost against the best team in Africa," the German said.

"But we will be back in the tournament. Two years ago, we lost the first game and we qualified for the knockout stage."

In 2006 in Egypt, the Super Eagles were also defeated 1-0 by Ivory Coast in the semi-finals.

On we go ...

African Player of the Year Shortlist

Some old faces, some new names in the Confederation of African Football's shortlist for the 2007 African Player of the Year.

Reigning African Footballer of the Year Didier Drogba will be up against his Chelsea team mate Michael Essien, Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and the Spanish-based pair of Frederic Kanoute and Mahamadou Diarra for the award which will be given out in February.

Kanoute, who helped Sevilla win the UEFA Cup in 2007, could become the first European-born player to win the title. Kanoute was born near Lyon and played for France at junior levels before switching his international allegiance to Mali in 2004.

Real Madrid's Diarra helped Mali qualify for the African Cup of Nations while Adebayor's performances with Arsenal catapulted him onto the list. There's controversy with the lanky striker from Togo as Adebayor boycotted several international matches this year in an on-going dispute over money with his country's football federation.

The winner will be announced at the annual Confederation of African Football awards ceremony, scheduled for Feb 1 in Lome, Togo.

The winner is voted for in a poll of coaches of the 53 African national teams. The five finalists were chosen by an initial vote of CAF committee members.

Good luck, all!

Chelsea Coach Speaks Out Against Cup of Nations

It's a common theme among big-name coaches in Europe:
Most are against the timing of the African Cup of Nations.

This is a good and bad thing.

Good in that it means more Africans are infiltrating the dressing rooms of top world football clubs like Barcelona and Chelsea.

Bad in that it's annoying to hear these coaches biting the hand that feeds them.

Africa has a right to stage their continental competition when they see fit. Although I strongly feel they shouldn't cave in to European demands simply because Old World powerhouses are calling for these changes, it's evident that changes need to be made. The Nations Cup scheduling is hurtful to the teams that pay big money to salary their African stars.

As more Africans play at world-class clubs and as more Africans proser at these clubs, the more their services are going to be missed and the angrier the clubs will get.

It's really a lose-lose situation in many ways.

Today, Chelsea coach Avram Grant became the latest to pop off on the African Cup of Nations timing.

Grant has called for the tournament to be played in June or July in the future as he faces the prospect of coping without striker Didier Drogba.

Ivory Coast captain Drogba is committed to playing for his country, which starts January 20th, although he has a knee injury and may require surgery.

Chelsea will decide in the next week whether an operation is required but already know Salomon Kalou, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien will be away for up to a month when they play in Ghana in the new year.

When Grant was asked if the tournament should be moved to suit the European soccer calendar in future, he was quite vocal.

"Of course, I think everybody wants it (a scheduling change) but it doesn't depend on me," he told a news conference at Chelsea's training ground.

"We need to think about this. When they started the African Nations Cup there were not so many players playing in Europe. Now the Africans have many players in the Premier League and in other leagues -- and in my opinion it will be even more in the next few years. So we need to think about this because it's not good for the players or the clubs. It would be better in the summer but I cannot change it, I can only say my opinion."

Drogba is 90 percent certain to miss this weekend's Premier League match at home to Sunderland according to Grant and the timing of his operation could have an impact on his availability for the African Nations Cup.

Grant said Drogba and the club had known about the problem for some months but the striker insisted on playing.

"He pushes to play even now but we must take care of the health of the player. We will see what is good for him. At the moment we will keep an eye on the situation then we will know what will happen," Grant said.

When asked if the player would require surgery, the manager said: "Maybe. We don't know yet, we will know better in the next days."

In other news, Samuel Eto'o is expected to play his first minutes since September with Barcelona this weekend. He's been recuperating from a leg injury. Good luck to you, Sammy. Stay fit.

Short List for 2007 BBC African Footballer of the Year

It's that time of year again, when journalists around the globe announce their picks for Footballers of the Year.

Africa has their own prestigious award and today, the BBC announced their short list for 2007 African Footballer of the year.

*Note: The BBC award is independent of the Confederation of African Footballer award. Ghana's Michael Essien won the award last year, while Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba won the CAF prize.*

The players selected are listed with their home countries and club teams:

Didier Drogba - Ivory Coast, Chelsea
Michael Essien - Ghana, Chelsea
Emmanuel Adebayor - Togo, Arsenal
Frederic Kanoute - Mali, Sevilla
Samuel Eto'o - Cameroon, FC Barcelona

The list was drawn up through consultation with sports reporters from every country in Africa.

Each reporter, from Morocco to Mozambique, from Somalia to Senegal, was asked to provide a list of five names. I'm a little skeptical of the Eto'o choice, being he's hardky played this year. But this is what they chose, so what do I know?

If you'd like to vote, please click here and have your say!

The winner will be announced at a special ceremony in Accra, Ghana on February 1, after the completion of the group stages of the African Cup of Nations.

According to the BBC's website, here's some things to consider in each player's case:

- Despite hardly playing in 2007, Samuel Eto'o has been chosen as the face of the 2010 World Cup and has taken a leading role in the fight against racism in football.

- Michael Essien was rewarded for his performances with a new five-year contract at Chelsea, and Ghana coach Claude Le Roy has declared Essien's talent to be "from another planet".

- Frederic Kanoute scored the vital goal which saw Mali qualify for the Nations Cup, and he helped his club side Sevilla retain the Uefa Cup.

- Togo's Emmanuel Adebayor picked up where Thierry Henry left off for English Premier League side Arsenal with seven goals for the Gunners in the first three months of the season.

- Ivorian Didier Drogba scored the winner in Chelsea's FA Cup final victory over Manchester United.

So who is going to win? What do you think?

Drogba Speaks

Didier Drogba hasn't shied away from his plans to leave Chelsea. But in an article published in France Footballmagazine today, Drogba stated he'll stay until next summer because "it would be a little cowardly to leave at a time when the boat is rocking".

He does say that his original intention after Jose Mourinho's departure was to leave the club as soon as possible and that he planned to not play against Valencia last month so that he would be eligible to play in the Champions League for another team later in the season. After reflection, Drogba eventually declared himself available for that game and now says he is determined to stay at Chelsea until June.

"When you're disappointed you sometimes take stances that you haven't thought about properly," he explained. "That was my way of showing how angry I was. But I wouldn't have been able to look my team-mates in the eye afterwards. I am someone who has always campaigned for solidarity, so I've decided to stay until next summer."

Drogba is signed until 2010. But he said, "Experience shows that there's no point holding on to a player against his wishes. I hope we'll be able to find a tidy way of leaving Chelsea."

Drogba also revealed that he has been taking Spanish and Italian lessons for "a little while" and would love the opportunity to play for one of the giants of Serie A or La Liga. "I want to get back to playing with butterflies in my stomach for a club who make me dream," he said. "For me, there aren't 50 clubs who could stimulate this sort of passion, just four: AC Milan, Inter, Barça and Real."

Aware that Chelsea fans may accuse him of disloyalty or money-grabbing, Drogba said: "Since my first day at Chelsea, I've always thought collectively. I don't think anyone can complain if I decide to think a little about myself towards the end."

"All I know is that the decision has done a lot of damage to the team," he continued, seriously. "There are many casualties in the dressing room because now we know what happened and whose fault it is that Jose Mourinho is gone. In the days after his departure, I had trouble looking at certain people without feeling angry."

"Some things that were done and said did not conform to the mentality of a squad that until that point had always been tight and had shown solidarity for each other. I understand that some people might not have wanted the coach to stay and hoped that his successor might give them more games, but what happened went beyond that. It went far too far. Maybe it would be an exaggeration to talk about treachery but certainly some people were very disappointing. I understand why the coach, despite being very attached to most of the players, announced as he was going, 'I am very happy to be leaving here.'"

Drogba described the atmosphere in the dressing room after Mourinho's departure. "There were fireworks ... Things went a little haywire and there was quite a rumpus within the group. Several players weren't far off professional misconduct, ignoring basic principles. Fortunately all that didn't last too long."

He refused to elaborate further and denied that there were now warring factions within the dressing room. Asked whether Andriy Shevchenko and John Terry had played any role in Mourinho's departure, he replied - sarcastically, according to France Football - "No, I don't want to believe that ... if that was the case, it would be really shocking."

He made little effort, however, to disguise his displeasure with Roman Abramovich's role in Mourinho's departure. "Everything was halted at the whim of the president," he said. "We are mere employees. I don't hide the fact that I took the whole episode very badly."

"When you stick with a manager through the summer, you have to at least give him until December unless some catastrophe takes place. But apparently president Abramovich has changed philosophy. We feel that the shared story was ended too quickly. We're left with a feeling of incompleteness, and impotence.

Despite all that, Drogba maintains that he is determined to do his best for Chelsea until he leaves. "I think Henk ten Cate will do us good. We're not out of the title race and were still on track in the Champions League. I believe we can succeed. We wouldn't be the first team to pull off a great season after encountering some problems along the way. We've all developed such a hunger for victory that I can't see us settling for second place. We've got what it takes to surprise some people. The trauma is behind us now."

Very elaborating interview. Drogba remains a man who vents his frustration when need be. The marriage between the Ivorian superstar and the money-riddled club looks to be over. What will be the course for the rest of the season?