Latest news with #Ivorian
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Jose Mourinho's bold comment to Abramovich to seal huge Chelsea transfer
Didier Drogba would become a Chelsea legend after his move from Marseille in 2004, but Jose Mourinho has revealed how he had to bravely convince Roman Abramovich to sign him Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho once boldly told ex-club owner Roman Abramovich to simply "pay and don't speak" for Blues legend Didier Drogba. Chelsea signed the Ivorian from Marseille for £24million in July 2004, and ended up with a Stamford Bridge hero. With Abramovich's financial revolution at Chelsea gathering pace at the time, Mourinho instructed his employer that he must have the powerful striker in his ranks. And he did not have time for the Russian's questions, risking his standing with the billionaire. "[Roman] Abramovich was asking me, 'Who do you want for the striker?' All the big names in Europe at that time, I told 'Drogba,'" Mourinho relayed. "(Abramovich asked) 'Who is he? Where does he play? Where is he playing?' (I replied) 'Mr Abramovich, pay. Pay and don't speak'. And Didier was an iconic player for Chelsea, for the Premier League." True to Mourinho's insistence, Drogba illustrated his extraordinary talent right off the bat by netting 16 goals despite battling injuries in his inaugural season. He went on to win the Premier League on three occasions, four FA Cups and the Champions League in his first stint at the club. The Ivorian icon eventually moved to Shanghai Shenhua after eight seasons, but he didn't last long in the Chinese Super League. He quickly made his way to European football with Galatasaray, reports Football London. "I played [against] him [Drogba] when I was in Madrid and he was with [Wesley] Sneijder in Galatasaray - they almost killed me, but they didn't and he was fantastic also for Galatasaray," Mourinho added. "Then he came back to Chelsea and I told him, 'You are not number one anymore, but I need you here to help me with the team, with the more experienced players, with the [Eden] Hazards, with the Willians, with the young guys'. He was phenomenal again. There are players with their character and personality, and they are important from day one in their career." In an interview with BBC Football Focus in 2018, Drogba revealed that Mourinho's admiration was reciprocated. "He changed my life, he changed the story of my family," said Drogba. "He told me if you want to be the best, you have to come and play with one of the best teams in the world and one of the best managers in the world… no, the best manager in the world. Everyone was saying £24m was a lot of money. People doubted. When I left, I think the way everyone reacted, I think I covered the investment." In two spells with Chelsea, Drogba, now 47, scored an incredible 164 goals in 381 games. His legend is cemented with the Ivory Coast star also winning the Premier League Golden Boot in 2006/07 and 2009/10. After his second spell in West London, he wrapped up his career with MLS sides Montreal Impact and then with Phoenix Rising in 2018.
Leaders
a day ago
- Leaders
‘Ask Me' Service Assists over 1.2 Million Pilgrims during Hajj
More than 1.2 million pilgrims benefited from the 'Ask Me' spatial guidance service during the 1446 Hajj season. The service assisted pilgrims in navigating the Grand Mosque and locating key religious sites by offering clear directions and helping them identify both their current location and intended destination. Designed to help visitors navigate the Grand Mosque and locate key religious landmarks, the service offered direct routing assistance—allowing pilgrims to determine their current position and efficiently reach their desired destinations. In addition, an interactive multilingual digital map provided comprehensive spatial guidance, enabling pilgrims to easily find essential facilities within the Grand Mosque. These include guidance offices, wheelchair distribution points, lost and found services, lost pilgrim support centers, and health clinics. Related Topics: Saudi Arabia Launches Global Quranic Enrichment Project During Hajj 2025 Hajj 2025: SDAIA Boosts Makkah Route Initiative with Technical Services Ivorian Hajj Pilgrims Applaud Makkah Route Initiative Makkah Route Initiative: Saudi Arabia Streamlines Luggage Handling for Pilgrims – Video Short link : Post Views: 1 Related Stories
Borneo Post
2 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Chinese company helps Cote d'Ivoire transform ‘white gold' into prosperity
Rubber farmers unload rubber from a tricycle at a plantation in Grand-Bereby, Cote d'Ivoire on May 30, 2025. – Xinhua photo ABIDJAN (June 19): At the break of dawn in Grand-Bereby, a town in southwestern Cote d'Ivoire's San Pedro department, three-wheeled carts loaded with milky-white latex weave through lush rubber plantations, heading steadily toward a brand-new factory built by a Chinese company. Inside the factory, Ivorian workers move deftly along the production lines. The freshly tapped latex then emerges as standardised and high-quality rubber blocks after undergoing a series of processes. In the nearby laboratory, technicians monitor elasticity and tensile strength data, ensuring each batch meets rigorous international standards. Officially launched in October last year, the plant boasts an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes. A technician tests a rubber sample at the rubber processing plant of a Chinese company in Grand-Bereby, Cote d'Ivoire on May 30, 2025. – Xinhua photo It was built following the company's two earlier investments: The first plant began operations in the southern department of Dabou in 2020, followed by a flagship factory with an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes in the western department of Duekoue in 2022. With two more plants scheduled to come online later this year, the company's total annual processing capacity in Cote d'Ivoire will rise to about 480,000 tonnes. In this West African nation, rubber is known as 'white gold'. As Africa's largest rubber producer, Cote d'Ivoire has seen its rubber output surge from 815,000 tonnes in 2019 to 1.55 million tonnes in 2023, securing its position as the world's third-largest rubber producer. Behind this remarkable growth lies a story of shared progress, where Chinese technology is helping reshape the value chain, from raw latex to high-value exports, while opening up new pathways of prosperity for thousands of local farmers and workers. An aerial photo taken on May 30, 2025 shows the rubber processing plant of a Chinese company in Grand-Bereby, Cote d'Ivoire. – Xinhua photo 'Now I can deliver latex to the factory within half an hour of tapping!' said Ariol Toh, a rubber farmer whose family has been cultivating rubber since the 1990s. In the past, they had to travel dozens of kilometers to find a buyer, often at the mercy of intermediaries and unfair prices. 'Today, the Chinese factory is right here, and the prices are transparent and fair. My three kids no longer have to worry about school fees,' he said. Inside the humming production hall, Kouassi Yannick Irite, a young local team leader, conducted his inspection rounds. 'In the past, young people had to leave their hometown to look for a job. Now, we can process our rubber right here.' Since joining the factory, Irite has not only mastered advanced machinery but also learned how to lead a team. Workers pack rubber blocks at the rubber processing plant of a Chinese company in Grand-Bereby, Cote d'Ivoire on May 29, 2025. – Xinhua photo 'This factory makes us feel proud,' he added. Zhang Liang, deputy general manager of the company, said that shortly after the group's second plant began operations, the Ivorian government introduced a policy to restrict raw rubber exports. 'That decision was made partly because our facilities significantly boosted the country's rubber processing capacity, so farmers no longer have to sell raw materials at low prices,' he said. As night falls, a deep horn sounds across the San Pedro port, where container ships loaded with standardised rubber blocks set sail for international markets. Each shipment carries more than just commercial value; it tells the story of a partnership between China and Cote d'Ivoire that is transforming rural lives and redefining Africa's place in the global rubber supply chain. – Xinhua China Cote d'Ivoire rubber Xinhua
Arabian Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arabian Post
Ouattara Girds for Fourth Term Amid Opposition Clampdown
Abidjan is bracing for a highly polarised presidential election scheduled for 25 October 2025, as President Alassane Ouattara's ruling party moves to endorse his expected bid for a fourth term. Meanwhile, key opposition figures have been barred from the ballot, prompting protests and allegations of democratic erosion. Official party channels have circulated motions affirming Ouattara, 83, as their preferred candidate under the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace. He has indicated his health and determination to continue serving, yet the formal declaration remains pending. The RHDP's decision follows a precedent set in 2024, when senior members asserted there was 'no viable candidate other than Ouattara'. The electoral landscape has sharply shifted in the past weeks. On 4 June, the Independent Electoral Commission finalised its candidate list, excluding four high-profile figures: former opposition leader Tidjane Thiam, ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, Charles Blé Goudé and ex–prime minister Guillaume Soro, citing legal and constitutional constraints. Thiam, who renounced his French citizenship earlier this year, was removed on grounds that he forfeited his Ivorian nationality, a legal interpretation contested by his party. ADVERTISEMENT Thiam's supporters responded in Abidjan, with thousands rallying in inclement weather to demand his reinstatement. Displaying PDCI colours, they accused authorities of biased justice and pledged to challenge the decision domestically and through international mechanisms. In a statement, he stressed he remained committed to peaceful political participation, warning that excluding opposition actors could destabilise the country. The disqualification of other prominent opposition figures compounds political unrest. Gbagbo, who was acquitted by the International Criminal Court but remains barred due to domestic convictions, has decried the exclusion as undemocratic. The disputed electoral list has drawn sharp criticism from Simone Ehivet Gbagbo—former first lady and one of the few opposition candidates allowed to run—who described the electoral environment as unconducive to a 'peaceful, calm election'. The electoral register enrols 8.7 million voters in a nation of roughly 32 million, nearly half under 18. No revisions have been scheduled ahead of the vote, despite opposition demands. Critics argue the register excludes many young and rural voters, exacerbating representation concerns. 2010 and 2020 hold sombre reminders of electoral violence. The former saw over 3,000 deaths in civil unrest, and the latter witnessed deadly bouts of protest after Ouattara pursued a third term, despite term-limit controversy. The spectre of unrest looms once more as key challengers are removed and dissent escalates. Analysts highlight a fragmented opposition: PDCI is split between Thiam and Jean‑Louis Billon; FPI presents Pascal Affi N'Guessan; former rebel leader Guillaume Soro remains in exile; Simone Ehivet Gbagbo leads the MGC. This disunity may advantage the incumbent. International observers, including ECOWAS and the UN, have called for transparency in candidate vetting and voter registration. Foreign influence adds complexity. Ivory Coast's post-colonial ties with France remain under scrutiny, while security cooperation with Israel and the United States persists. Rising anti-French sentiment and praise for pan‑African sovereignty feed nationalist rhetoric across camps. President Ouattara asserts that a constitutional referendum in 2016 reset term limits, legitimising his third mandate—and potentially another. Opposition parties challenge this, asserting that a fourth term would breach democratic norms. As campaigning intensifies, the friction between institutional authority and popular sentiment escalates. The IU electoral schedule foresees campaigning through October, culminating in first- and potential runoff rounds. Both domestic and international actors are watching closely, wary that electoral mismanagement could reignite violence and undermine Côte d'Ivoire's role as a West African anchor of stability.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Minibus, truck collide in Ivory Coast, killing 14
ABIDJAN: A minibus and a truck violently collided in southern Ivory Coast, killing at least 14 people including an infant, local sources said Sunday. The collision happened Saturday near the town of Agboville, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Abidjan, the economic capital, said the Ivorian news agency AIP, citing emergency services. Eighteen people were injured in the collision, including six who are in critical condition with major injuries, it said. 'Agboville is in mourning,' said local youth leader Edi N'Cho. Deadly road accidents are common in Ivory Coast, as in many African countries. Multiple vehicles were also swept away Saturday in Abidjan in floods triggered by torrential rains. No deaths were reported.
