FORMER Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba says the hosts should put in everything to win the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Ivory Coast 2023.
Drogba, who is delighted to see his nation host the rest of Africa, wants them to win their third title.
“The Africa Cup of Nations is a celebration of African football. Of course I want Ivory Coast to win.
“We are going to fight. We are at home, so we have to show we cannot only host the competition, but also put in a good performance,” the former Chelsea striker says.
“Ivory Coast is faced with its responsibilities; it must perform. All the teams here deserve to be here. They have their chances, so it is up to us to ensure we respect them, but above all to show that we are able to stand up to these teams.”
After two games, Ivory Coast have three points and would have to overcome Equatorial Guinea in their final group game to gain automatic qualification.
“It’s going to be a celebration of African football, with a team from Equatorial Guinea, which progresses every year. We are happy to have them here.
“I saw they won their match. Congratulations to them, but it will be difficult against us,” he says.
Drogba’s message to the youth who dream of following in his footsteps is to take their education seriously. “You have to dream and give yourself the means to make your dreams come true.
You also need to give yourself several options. I think it is very important to have a good academic background, to study well in class, to have a good educational base, which will then allow you to be able to respond and take on all the challenges of life in general,” he says. -CAF
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