Didier
Drogba has been awarded an honorary degree by an Ivory Coast university for
his charitable work in the country, alongside his footballing contributions.
The 43-year-old, who is Chelsea's fourth-highest goalscorer of all-time with
164 goals in 381 appearances, not only led the Ivory Coast to three World
Cups but played a vital role in the peace process in the West African
nation.
One of his most notable acts came in 2005, after the Ivory Coast beat Sudan
to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. Amid civil war, Drogba invited TV cameras
into the team's changing room after the game and made a speech begging his
country to end the conflict. This led to a ceasefire after years of
violence.
In 2007, Drogba was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations
Development Programme and in 2009, he donated £3m of his endorsement with
Pepsi for a hospital to be built in his hometown of Abidjan.
Last year Drogba was hailed as a "pioneer" by UEFA president Aleksander
Ceferin as he was selected to receive the 2020 UEFA President's Award.
Ceferin said the Ivory Coast's all-time leading scorer joined players such
as George Weah and Samuel Eto'o to: "blaze a trail for African footballers
and give inspiration to a whole new generation to look to follow in their
footsteps."
Drogba's work was recognised by the Network of Universities of Science and
Technology of the Countries of Africa south of the Sahara (RUSTA) in the
form of an honorary degree.
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