Didier Drogba has been told he is not eligible to stand in upcoming elections to be the next president of the Ivory Coast Football Federation (FIF).
According to the FIF Electoral Commission, Drogba failed to meet a number of conditions in its eligibility criteria.
Two names he had submitted as his sponsors were declared not to have the necessary authority to do so.
His bid was rejected as two of the names he had submitted as his sponsors were ruled not to have the necessary authority to do so.
Officials from the Ivorian club African Sport and a body representing referees, AMAF-CI, had also backed the federation's current 1st vice president Sory Diabate.
The rejection will come as a bitter blow to football fans in Ivory Coast, thousands of whom had come out to support him earlier this month when he submitted his bid to stand.
Drogba played for the Ivory Coast between 2002 and 2014 before calling time on his international career.
He is the country’s all-time top scorer with 65 goals after 105 games, the country’s third-highest tally of international appearances after Didier Zokora (123) and Kolo Toure (120).
He played at five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013) and three World Cups (2006, 2010 and 2014).
