Didier Drogba joins board of Ivory Coast Ligue 1 club

Former player Didier Drogba has joined the board of Williamsville Athletic Club (WAC), Ivory Coast's first division club, the club's president told AFP on Tuesday.

"Didier has been an integral part of the club's steering committee since his visit to Abidjan (at the AU-EU summit) on December 2. We are pleased to have with us a leading figure in the world of football," claimed Abackar Koné, president of WAC.

"Drogba has already been collaborating for two years with the club and has decided to get involved 100%," said Koné. "Didier has also given us moral and financial help so far, and now he will be more involved in organizing the club, helping us to make him truly professional with his high level experience. at the beginning of a project that should benefit our club and also Ivorian football, "he said.

"In partnership with the Didier Drogba Foundation, we will very soon begin the work of a sports complex on the side of Grand Bassam (seaside resort about thirty kilometers east of Abidjan) on an area of 13 hectares. an institute called Dider Drogba which will be entirely under his responsibility, "Koné said.

This complex will also be a training center with "young boarders who will combine sport with education, with education ranging from primary to higher education," he continued.

The center will have "three play areas, two of which are synthetic (for training), a stadium with 5,000 seats", but also classrooms.

WAC, a team from Williamsville, a neighborhood in Adjamé, Abidjan, was established in 1995 and is competing in the African Champions League next year after finishing 2nd in the domestic Championship last season.