Global footballers’ union FIFPro has suspended the Ivory Coast Footballers Association (AFI) for failing to endorse Didier Drogba’s bid to head the country’s football federation.

In a letter dated Thursday and addressed to the president of the AFI Cyrille Domoraud, FIFPro said it was suspending his organisation “with immediate effect.”

The letter said that this “exceptional intervention” was motivated by “extreme urgency”.