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| FULL NAME | Didier Yves Drogba Tebily |
|---|---|
| DATE / PLACE OF BIRTH | 11 March 1978; Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire |
| NATIONALITY | Ivory Coast / Cote d’Ivoire |
| TEAMS | Ivory Coast national football team |
| Clubs | Chelsea, Shanghai Shenhua, Galatasaray |
| PLAYING POSITION | Striker (Forward) |
Source: Wikipedia
KICK OFF :
They say that the basic difference in the soccer style of the Africans vis-a-vis Europeans is the fact that while Europeans play their game with their minds, Africans play it from their hearts. However, in the modern generation of African players blazing the greens in various European leagues there is one player who epitomises the perfect amalgamation of these two styles and it is the one and only Didier Drogba. Rarely since the good old days of Pele has the world seen the magic that can be wielded by a footballer until it took Drogba to make the ceasefire appeal to all the combatants and achieve this ceasefire.
HIS – STORY :
Starting with his odyssey Drogba soon found his way to the English Premier League (EPL) in 2004. Despite being alert, agile and quick Drogba remained inconsistent during the happy seasons of 2005-06 and 2006-07, when he was part of the EPL winning Chelsea squad. However with the return of consistency Drogba was soon the darling of Stamford Bridge as he topped the goal charts in EPL and helped the Blues clinch the FA Cup and the Carling Cup. He spearheaded their 2008 Champions League campaign which they ended as the eventual runners-up. In what turned out to be the Annum Mirabilis for Chelsea when they won both the EPL and the FA cups in 2010 and in the process Drogba again became EPL’s highest goals scorer. His redemption was complete when he scored the winning goal in the extra time against Bayern Munich in the 2012 edition of the Champions League. Thereafter Drogba headed east to the Shanghai Shenhua and before long took the silk route to Galatasaray of Istanbul.
An Ivorian international since 2002, he has skippered the Les Elephants since 2006 and, he is their all-time top goal scorer. He led Les Elephants to the 2006 World Football Cup, their debut in the tournament, and also scored their first goal. Côte d’Ivoire were again led by him in the 2010 World Football Cup, with Drogba scoring once. Not surprising then that Drogba was named African Footballer of the Year in 2006 and 20110. The Les Elephants riding on his phenomenal talent and ended as the runners up of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006 and 2012, but were beaten on penalties on both occasions.
SCORE CARD :
In October 2013, he became the first African footballer to win the prestigious Golden Foot while playing for Galatasaray. Drogba’s trophy cabinet is almost complete and simply overflowing. Having won the prestigious EPL three times with Chelsea he won the UEFA Champions League for Chelsea in 2012 besides Super Cup with Galatasaray in 2013. He has been adjudged the African player of the Year in 2006 and ’09. Time magazine honored him by including him in its Top 100 influential people’s list in 2010.
EXTRA TIME :
Drogba, aka Tito for his close mates, met his future wife the beautiful Malian Diakite Lalla with whom he has three children. Drogba has been appointed the UNDP Goodwill Ambassador and his charity work was highlighted when he announced in late 2009, that he would donate the £3 million signing fee for his endorsement of Pepsi towards the construction of a hospital in his hometown, Abidjan. This charitable project was carried out through Drogba’s recently created “Didier Drogba Foundation” and Chelsea announced they too would donate the fee for the deal toward the Foundation’s project.
OFFSIDE :
Drogba’s career had its own fair share of controversies. Deliberately diving in the penalty box to earn a penalty or a free kick has been his modus operandi. The 2006 Champions League finals versus Man United saw him being red carded for a rash foul. His relationship with his mates during his Chelsea tenure has been a roller coaster of sorts, whether it was the forgettable coin throwing incident in 2008 or his personal equations. Both Michael Ballack and Avram Grant, the manager, were at the receiving end of Drogba’s caustic comments as were the African Football Association organizers in 2007 when they ignored him for the ‘African Player of the year’.
TIE-BREAKER :
Although a late bloomer, Drogba has been voted as the greatest Chelsea player in 2012. His ball skills, agility and supreme athleticism has endeared him to the Blues fans world over. Drogba remains a faithful student of the game, a skillful exponent, and a champion role model for millions of budding soccer players worldwide.
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