Drogba's debut delayed, Chinese fans disappointed   

德罗巴中国首秀延期 “巨星效应”引爆中国球市

迪迪埃•德罗巴18日晚间未能代表上海申花在足协杯赛场上献出中国首秀，这让长春经开体育馆内的上万名球迷多少有些失望。当晚这个场馆出现了久违的爆满景象，大多数球迷的目标只有一个：德罗巴。

Changchun (CNS) -- Didier Drogba didn't debut on the football field on behalf of the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on the night of July 18 as expected, which disappointed tens of thousand fans who flocked to a stadium in Changchun City to see him play.

The former Chelsea striker Drogba followed his new teammates and arrived in Changchun on July 17 for the 2012 CFA Cup, however, according to a member from Shenhua club, his state was not good enough to join the play.

Tickets for the match that Shenhua would have played were sold out on the first day. "Such situations are common for big matches, and obviously the football star's charm can survive it," said a local salesman.