Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae has urged Simon Adingra to carve out a career reminiscent of the legendary Didier Drogba.
Adingra gained significant attention after playing a pivotal role in helping Ivory Coast secure victory at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where he provided the assist for the winning goal scored by Sebastian Haller.
The 23-year-old winger was honored as the best young player of the AFCON and later finished as the runner-up behind Ademola Lookman for the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award. Fae, who oversees Adingra’s development at the national level, acknowledged that while Adingra is not a direct comparison to Drogba, he possesses his unique talents.
“I don’t like to compare players. Drogba is Drogba and Adingra is Adingra. They are not the same kind of player and he’s different from Drogba,” Fae stated in an interview with Flashscore.
“He’s a young player with a lot of talent. I just hope he continues to work hard because, at his age, consistent effort is crucial for improving day by day and year after year,” he added.
Fae emphasized that Adingra must strive for a regular starting position at Brighton & Hove Albion and aim to mirror Drogba’s successful career path. “At the moment, he is not a regular starter at Brighton, so he must work hard to earn that position and continue his efforts, particularly as he still has limited international caps.”
“He’s a young international player, so he needs to stay focused and keep working hard to improve, aiming to build a career similar to Drogba’s.” Adingra will be looking to Fae for guidance as he prepares to defend Ivory Coast’s AFCON title in Morocco later this year.
“It’s a pleasure for me to have him in my team because he brings a lot of positive qualities. I hope he continues to work hard to reach the top,” Fae expressed. “He will be in great form for the upcoming (international) matches. Being nominated for the African Player of the Year at such a young age is a significant achievement too.”
So far, Adingra has netted three goals in 18 international appearances for Ivory Coast.
