The winger signed a four-year contract with Brighton & Hove Albion on June 24th, 2022, after joining from Danish side Nordsjaelland. Just 10 days later, he was loaned to Union Saint-Gilloise, before returning to the Seagulls at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.
This season, Adingra has played in 14 league matches (five starts), scoring two goals, with his most recent strike coming in the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa on December 30th. He was also featured in the club's hard-earned draw against Arsenal on Saturday.
While the reigning African Coach of the Year disagrees with the constant comparisons between the youngster and the Chelsea legend, he emphasises the steps the Brighton star must take to follow in his compatriot's footsteps in England.
"I don't like to compare players. Drogba is Drogba and Adingra is Adingra. They are not the same kind of player and he's different from Drogba," Fae told Flashscore.
"He's a young player with a lot of talent. I just hope he continues to work hard because, at his age, consistent effort is crucial for improving day by day and year after year.
"At the moment, he is not a regular starter at Brighton, so he must work hard to earn that position and continue his efforts, particularly as he still has limited international caps.
"He's a young international player, so he needs to stay focused and keep working hard to improve, aiming to build a career similar to Drogba's."
During Drogba’s eight-year spell at Stamford Bridge, which included a brief stint in the 2014-15 season, he won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, and a Champions League title.
In addition to that, Drogba set several scoring records for Chelsea, including the most goals by a non-English player (164), the most in the Champions League (36), and the most in cup finals (nine). He also won the Premier League Golden Boot twice (2006-07, 2009-10).
Fae also emphasises the importance of having Adingra in the Ivorian national team.
The coach explained: "It's a pleasure for me to have him in my team because he brings a lot of positive qualities. I hope he continues to work hard to reach the top.
"He will be in great form for the upcoming (international) matches. Being nominated for the African Player of the Year at such a young age is a significant achievement too."
Although Adingra made his Elephants debut in 2023, he rose to international prominence by playing a vital role in helping the West African nation win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.
After scoring against Mali in the quarter-final, the Brighton star provided two assists in the final against Nigeria and was later awarded the tournament's Best Young Player prize.
Fae also appreciates the support he has received from Cote d'Ivoire legends, especially Drogba, since his appointment as the head coach of the Ivorian national team.
The former Nantes midfielder added: "He's a person who, just by being here, boosts the players' confidence. He's here for the players.
"He makes an effort to communicate with (the players) and does his best to inspire strength in the team to keep moving forward."
Next for the reigning African champions is the goal of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after missing the last two editions.
The coach had stated that failing to qualify for a third consecutive time would be unacceptable.
"It would be hard to accept the Ivory Coast not making it to the World Cup. This challenge is very important to me and has been on my mind since our last game against Chad in the AFCON qualifiers," Fae said.
"We’re going to give it our all. We're going to work extremely hard to be prepared for the match.
"Our goal is to win our next two games against Burundi and Gambia, maintain the top spot in the group, and increase our chances of qualifying for the World Cup."
