Drogba: Now The Civil War Is Over, I Can Build My Country A Hospital

DIDIER DROGBA has a drive and determination on the football field that few professional players can match. But the Chelsea striker has more lofty ambitions than simply trying to win shiny trophies for a club in west London. This is a man who has taken on the responsibility of rebuilding his entire country. If Drogba ran to become president of the Ivory Coast, it is thought he would win by a landslide. But he wouldn't do it, because he believes he can achieve so much more through football. When Drogba landed with the national squad in the Ivory Coast's largest city Abidjan on Monday after losing the African Cup of Nations final to Zambia on penalties, tens of thousands of people lined the streets. Drogba had missed a 70th-minute penalty which would have won them the competition but the West African country still hailed the captain and his team-mates as if they were the champions. Following last year's post-election civil war, which cost more than 3,000 lives, football brought together a country that had been on its knees. Drogba is the leading symbol of the re-birth. Through the Didier Drogba Foundation, set up five years ago, his priority is to get a �3million hospital built in Abidjan. After that, a number of satellite clinics will be constructed in different parts of the country. The civil unrest halted Drogba's plans but now the development is up and running again with the hope it could be open by the end of the year. In a country where the average life expectancy is just 54, such a major medical facility cannot come soon enough. Every penny the Chelsea star earns from his commercial activities with the likes of Nike, Pepsi and Samsung goes into the foundation. Money is also raised through fundraising events such as an annual charity ball, which is taking place at The Dorchester hotel in London next month.