No shows no go for top African gong
Attendance will be a must to collect the African player of the year awards.
He said CAF officials told him to attend Friday’s ceremony or risk losing the top award.
The Chelsea striker and Ghana coach Claude Le Roy felt it conflicted with preparations for quarterfinal matches held on Sunday.
Le Roy was angry that midfielder Michael Essien made the trip and returned in the early hours of Saturday morning, a day before the quarterfinal match against Nigeria.
CAF defended the decision to hold the event in Lome.
“The absence of a player at such an important event constitutes lack of
respect for the institution, political authorities represented by our various heads of state and millions of African football followers worldwide,” CAF said.
Mali striker Freddie Kanoute won the award ahead of Essien, even though Drogba was the clear favorite.
Kanoute attended because Mali had been eliminated from the continental
championship.