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Upset over the elephant myth
Cote d’Ivoire football legend Didier Drogba opened fire on refereeing and video technology staff after Cote d’Ivoire crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the round of 32 after losing 2-1 to Norway.
Drogba’s criticism came minutes after the match ended, as he expressed his anger at his country not being awarded a penalty, saying the referee’s decision denied the Elephants a chance to return to the match.
The historic captain of the Cote d’Ivoire national team wrote on his account on the “X” platform: “It’s a shame that the penalty was not awarded to Nicolas Pepe, my God, what is the use of video technology?”
This no-whistle penalty against Nicolas Pepe is disgraceful pfffffff what is VAR for?!??!
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) June 30, 2026
Drogba’s comments came after a game in which the Ivorian played well and forced periods of control but failed to capitalize on the opportunities presented to him as Norway leveled 2-1 under star man Erling Haaland.
With this result, Norway played a strong match against Brazil in the quarter-finals, which had narrowly defeated Japan 2-1 before that.
