Didier Drogba is a former professional association footballer who represented the Ivory Coast national team from 2002 to 2014. He made his debut for the Ivory Coast in a 2004 African Cup of Nations qualification match against South Africa in September 2002. [1] He scored his first international goal on his next appearance for the Ivory Coast, in a 3–0 win against Cameroon in a friendly in Châteauroux, France. [2] On 8 August 2014, Drogba announced his retirement from international football with a record of 63 goals in 102 appearances, ending his international career as his country's all-time top scorer, [3] remaining so as of November 2018 [update] , and with the third-most appearances, behind Didier Zokora (123) and Kolo Touré (120). [4] His record in unofficial matches was 3 goals in 4 appearances [5] .
Drogba scored one hat-trick during his international career, scoring the opening three goals in a 6–1 victory for the Ivory Coast against Burundi in a 2004 African Cup of Nations qualification match. He has also scored a goal twice in a match on twelve occasions, including one against Senegal in October 2012; the game was abandoned shortly after Drogba's second goal as fans rioted, throwing food and drinks onto the pitch, although the Confederation of African Football declared the 2–0 victory would stand. [6] He has scored more goals against Benin (seven) than any other country. Nineteen of his goals were scored in his hometown stadium of Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan. Fourteen of Drogba's goals were scored from the penalty spot. [7] [8]
Drogba scored more international goals in friendlies than in any other format, with 23 in 42 matches. He scored eighteen goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers at almost one goal per game (nineteen matches), and two goals at the World Cup finals. In the Africa Cup of Nations, he scored eleven goals in twelve qualifying matches, and eleven goals in twenty-four matches at the tournaments. As of September 2020, he is the 22nd highest men's international goal scorer of all time, and third highest scorer for an African nation, behind Godfrey Chitalu and Kinnah Phiri.
‡ | Indicates goal was scored from a penalty kick |
---|
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12 January 2008 | Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait | Kuwait | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | [54] |
2 | 13 June 2009 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | Cameroon | 1–0 | 2–1 | [55] | |
3 | 4 January 2010 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Tanzania | 1–0 | 1–0 | [56] |
No. | Opponent | Goals | Score | Venue | Competition | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Burundi | 3 – (1–0', 2–0', 3–0') | 6–1 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 2004 African Cup of Nations qualification | 8 June 2003 |
|
|
Kolo Abib Touré is an Ivorian professional football manager and former player. He most recently managed Championship side Wigan Athletic.
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the all-time top scorer and former captain of the Ivory Coast national team. He is best known for his career at Chelsea, for whom he has scored more goals than any other foreign player and is currently the club's fourth highest goal scorer of all time. Drogba was named Chelsea's greatest ever player in a poll of 20,000 fans conducted by Chelsea FC Magazine in 2012, and he was also named in the Chelsea team of the 2010–2020 decade by Chelsea's fans in 2020. He is regarded as one of the greatest African players of all time and was noted for his physical strength, speed, ability in the air, powerful and accurate strikes, and ball retention. Drogba was named African Footballer of the Year twice, winning the award in 2006 and 2009. He is also the player with the most runner-up appearances (4), most third-place finishes (3), and most times in the top three (9).
The Ivory Coast national football team represents Ivory Coast in men's international football. Nicknamed the Elephants, the team is managed by the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF). Until 2005, their greatest accomplishment was winning the 1992 African Cup of Nations against Ghana on penalties at the Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor in Dakar, Senegal. Their second success came in 2015, again defeating Ghana on penalties in Bata, Equatorial Guinea. The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Guinea national football team represents Guinea in men's international football and it is controlled by the Guinean Football Federation. They have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals, and their best finish in the Africa Cup of Nations was runners-up in 1976. The team reached the quarter-finals in four recent tournaments. The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Emmanuel Eboué is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a right back.
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a forward and winger for Djiboutian club Arta/Solar7.
Aruna Dindane is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré is an Ivorian professional football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently an assistant coach at Belgian club Standard Liège.
Déguy Alain Didier Zokora is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He represented the Ivory Coast national team for 14 years, beginning in 2000, and is currently the nation's most capped player. He now serves as an assistant manager at AFAD Djékanou.
Arouna Koné is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Belgian club VK Weerde.
Koffi Christian Romaric N'Dri, commonly known as Romaric, is an Ivorian former professional footballer. A versatile midfielder, he could play as either a defensive or central midfielder.
Boubacar "Copa" Barry is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Having begun his career at ASEC Mimosas, he moved to France in 2001, where he played for Rennes' reserve team. In 2003, he joined Belgian side Beveren where he stayed four years. He then spent ten years at K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen amassing 239 league appearances. At international level, he represented the Ivory Coast national team before his retirement from international football in March 2015, but continued to play for his club, Lokeren. Exactly four years after his international retirement, Barry retired also professionally as a player in March 2019.
Didier Ya Konan is an Ivorian former footballer who played as a forward for the Ivory Coast national team.
Seydou Doumbia is an Ivorian former professional association footballer who played as a forward.
Football is the most popular sport in Ivory Coast. The national team won the Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal in 1992. In 2006 they participated in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The youth national teams have also done well in world championships, and the clubs from Ivory Coast have won several continental titles. The Ivory Coast national team won a second African cup of nations in 2015.
Souleymane Coulibaly is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for ES Sétif.
The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Final was a football match that took place on 12 February 2012 between Zambia and Ivory Coast. The match took place at the Stade d'Angondjé in Libreville, Gabon to determine the winner of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). This match was an emotional match for Zambia, as the stadium is located near the spot where most of the Zambian national team died when their aeroplane crashed in 1993. The kickoff time was delayed by 30 minutes to 20:30.
The Ivory Coast women's national football team represents Ivory Coast in international women's football and is controlled by the Ivorian Football Federation. They played their first international match in 1988. The team is currently ranked 64th in the FIFA Women's World Rankings and as the 6th best team in CAF.
Sébastien Romain Teddy Haller is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. Born in France, and a former French youth international, he plays for the Ivory Coast national team.
Nicolas Pépé is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger or forward for Premier League club Arsenal. Born in France, he plays for the Ivory Coast national team.