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LONDON. — Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha has bought a football club in the hopes of leading them up the football pyramid.

The 29-year-old is the proud new co-owner of Espoir Club D’Abengourou, who play their football in the Ivorian third tier, alongside his brother, Carin, who also oversees the running of Zaha’s foundation.

Zaha, who plays international football for Cote d’Ivoire, was born in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan before moving to London when he was four-years-old.

“We have an Under-19 academy. We will play in the Division d’Honneur this season,” Carin said.

“The objective is obviously to go up, but first we want our youngsters to be in good shape and gain experience.” Zaha has become the latest Ivorian international to buy a club in the country, following in footsteps of former Arsenal winger Gervinho and ex-Bournemouth man Max Gradel, while Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie also owns a training centre there.

The Palace favourite is currently away on international duty with the Elephants, who failed to qualify for the upcoming Qatar World Cup. — The Daily Star