DIDIER DROGBA

Didier Drogba

Didier Yves Drogba Tébily was born on,11 March 1978 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.He is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League and is the captain and all-time leading scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team. He scored more goals for Chelsea than any other foreign player and is currently Chelsea's ninth highest goal scorer of all time.

As a young child Drogba moved to France. After playing in youth teams, Drogba made his professional debut aged 18 for Ligue 2 club Le Mans. A late bloomer, he signed his first professional contract aged 21 but it was not until the 2002–03 season that he realised his potential, scoring 17 goals in 34 appearances in Ligue 1 for Guingamp. During the same season he made his first international appearance for Côte d'Ivoire in September and scored his first international goal the following February. He moved to Olympique de Marseille in 2003 for £3.3 million and his prolific ways continued, finishing as the third highest scorer in the league with 19 goals and making it to the 2004 UEFA Cup Final.

Drogba moved to Chelsea the following season for a record breaking fee of £24 million, making him the most expensive Côte d'Ivoire player in history. In addition, Drogba scored decisive goals in the 2005 FA Community Shield and League Cup Final and helped the club win their first ever Premier League title. Drogba came to prominence as one of the world's foremost strikers in 2006 as he won the league title with Chelsea again and captained the national team for the first time. In the 2006 World Cup he scored Côte d'Ivoire's first ever goal of the competition and he was chosen as the 2006 African Footballer of the Year. The next season he finished as top scorer in the 2006–07 Premier League with 20 goals and also scored the winning goals in the 2007 League Cup and FA Cup finals.

Away from the pitch, Drogba is known for his charity work and was appointed by the United Nations Development Programme as a Goodwill Ambassador in 2007. He has three children with his Malian wife, Alla.


Personal information

Full name Didier Yves Drogba Tébily
Date of birth 11 March 1978 (1978-03-11) (age 31)
Place of birth Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2+1/2 in)
Playing position Striker

Club information

Current club Chelsea
Number 11
Youth career
1996–1997 Levallois
1997–1998 Le Mans

Senior career*

Years Club Apps (Gls)
1998–2002 Le Mans 064 0(12)
2002–2003 Guingamp 045 0(20)
2003–2004 Marseille 035 0(19)
2004– Chelsea 142 0(61)
Total 286 (112)

National team

2002– Côte d'Ivoire 060 0(41)

Early life

Didier Drogba was born in Côte d'Ivoire and at the age of five he was sent to France by his parents to live with his uncle, Michel Goba, a professional footballer. However, Drogba soon became homesick and returned to Abidjan after three years. His mother nicknamed him "Tito", after president Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia whom she admired greatly. He played football every day in a car park in the city but his return to Côte d'Ivoire was short lived. Both of his parents lost their jobs and he again returned to live with his uncle. In 1991, his parents also travelled to France, first to Vannes and then settling in 1993 at Antony in the Paris suburbs, at which point the 15-year-old Drogba returned to live with them and his siblings. It was here that he began playing team football more frequently, joining a local youth side.

2008–09 Season in Chelsea

Drogba suffered a string of injuries early on in the season and struggled to regain fitness, missing games from August to November due to knee problems. He scored his first goal of the season in mid-November but there was little reason to celebrate: he incurred disciplinary action and a three match ban for throwing a coin back into the stands and Chelsea suffered a League Cup defeat against Burnley.Drogba scored his second goal of the season in a 2–1 victory against CFR Cluj in the UEFA Champions League, while his first Premier League goal of the season came in a 2–0 win against West Bromwich Albion in late December 2008.Having missed many games through injury and suspension, Drogba had lost his first team place and manager Scolari favoured playing Nicolas Anelka as a lone striker rather than pairing the two. However, he resolved to regain his position in the squad and Chelsea remained keen to keep the Ivorian.

Upon the temporary appointment of Guus Hiddink in early February following the sacking of Scolari, Drogba enjoyed a rejuvenation of sorts, returning to his rich goal-scoring form with four goals in five games after the new manager took over.[34][35] His revival in form saw him net twice against Bolton Wanderers, and four times in four Champions League matches, one in each leg of the last sixteen and quarter final of the competition against Juventus and Liverpool respectively, with these goals ensuring Chelsea's passage into the semi-finals. Just four days after his Champions League heroics, Drogba scored a late winner in the FA Cup semi-final match against Arsenal after Frank Lampard's superb pass found Drogba and he carefully rounded Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski before slotting into an empty net. Drogba also caused controversy after Chelsea's Champions League semi-final defeat at the hands of FC Barcelona. Feeling that many decisions had gone against Chelsea, substituted Drogba confronted referee Tom Henning Øvrebø after the final whistle. He received a yellow card in the process and was recorded shouting "it's a fucking disgrace" into a television camera. On 17 June 2009 UEFA subsequently handed him a six game European ban with the final two games suspended.The ban then was cut down by 1 match after an appeal by Chelsea F.C In the 2009 FA Cup Final he scored Chelsea's first and equalising goal as they went on to win 2-1.[39] This was his sixth goal in a major cup final in England.

Although Drogba had previously expressed his desire to switch clubs, he decided to remain with the Blues under new coach Carlo Ancelotti and sign a new contract.

2009-10 Season in Chelsea

Drogba began the season in fine form for Chelsea, netting a penalty during a shoot-out in the Community Shield over Manchester United, before scoring twice in a 2-1 victory over Hull City. Drogba earned himself an assist when he was fouled in the area to give Chelsea a penalty, which Frank Lampard duly converted, in a 3-1 victory over Sunderland. In Chelsea's third game of the season against West-London rivals Fulham, Drogba scored his third goal of the season. Drogba scored his fourth goal of the season, against Stoke City; Chelsea ended winning the game 2-1 with a late strike from Malouda.He added a fifth at home against London rivals Tottenham on 20th September. This was his 99th goal for the club in all competitions.Drogba was again important in the 2-0 win over title rivals Liverpool on 4 October. He was involved in both goals, setting up Anelka and Malouda.

HONORS

Club

England Chelsea
o FA Premier League: 2004-05, 2005-06
o FA Cup: 2006-07, 2008-09
o FA Community Shield: 2005, 2009
o Football League Cup: 2004-05, 2006-07

Individual

* Onze d'Or: 2004
* UEFA Cup Top Scorer: 2004
* Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2004
* Ivorian Footballer of the Year: 2006, 2007
* Barclays Player of the Month: April 2005
* African Footballer of the Year: 2006
* Premier League Top Scorer: 2007
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2007
* PFA Team of the Year: 2007
* FIFPro World XI: 2007
* Ivory Coast all-time Top Scorer

SAMUEL ETO'O FILS

Samuel Eto'o

Samuel Eto'o Fils (born 10 March 1981 in Douala) is a Cameroonian footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Internazionale and is currently serving as captain of the Cameroon national team.

Eto'o scored over 100 goals in five seasons with FC Barcelona, and is also the record holder in number of appearances by an African player in La Liga. As of June 2009, he is the joint 3rd highest goalscorer in Barça's history, along with Rivaldo. He is the second player (the first being Raúl) to have ever scored in two separate UEFA Champions League finals.

As a member of the Cameroon national team, he was a part of the squad that won the 2000 Olympic tournament; he has participated in two World Cups and five African Nations Cups (being champion twice), and is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the African Nations Cup, with 16 goals.

Personal information

Full name Samuel Eto'o Fils
Date of birth 10 March 1981 (1981-03-10) (age 28)
Place of birth Douala, Cameroon
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Striker

Club information
Current club Internazionale
Number 9

Youth career
Kadji Sports Academy

Senior career*
Years Club Apps (Gls)
1997–2000 Real Madrid 3 (1)
1997–1998 ? Leganés (loan) 28 (3)
1999 ? Espanyol (loan) 0 (0)
2000 ? Mallorca (loan) 13 (6)
2000–2004 Mallorca 120 (48)
2004–2009 FC Barcelona 145 (108)
2009– Internazionale 7 (3)

National team
1996– Cameroon 86 (41)



Club career

Real Madrid

Samuel Eto'o joined Real Madrid in 1997, but he could only train with Real Madrid B, as he was still a minor. Real Madrid B were relegated to the Segunda División B, where non-EU players are not allowed, and as a result he was loaned to second-division CD Leganés for the 1997-98 season. After making 30 appearances for the club and only scoring 4 goals, he returned to Madrid following the end of the 1997-98 season. In January 1999, he was loaned out to Espanyol,[5] but failed to make any appearances for the club.

2007–2009

Eto'o refused to come on as a substitute in a league match against Racing Santander on 11 February 2007. Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard said after the match, "He did not want to come on; I don't know why." Ronaldinho was critical of Eto'o's actions, saying that Eto'o was not putting the team first but Eto'o rebutted the comment, claiming that he did not come on because he did not have enough time to warm up properly. Three months later, Eto'o said, "These kind of things are usually just speculation and don't come through to me. However, if it is true that I am a problem for my team then I will go. But like I said, I am happy here. The press can write what they want." Following the comments, FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta was quick to quash rumours of transfers involving Eto'o and Ronaldinho.

After aggravating a meniscus injury on 28 August during a summer friendly against Internazionale, Eto'o was sidelined indefinitely. On 17 October, in the midst of his recovery period, he gained Spanish citizenship. He was cleared to play again on 4 December, and returned to the side a week later in Barcelona's 2-1 league win over Deportivo La Coruña.

Eto'o recorded his first league hat-trick in a match against UD Levante on 24 February 2008. He finished with a total of 16 league goals in 18 appearances for the season. On 25 October, he recorded the fastest hat-trick in club history after netting three times in 23 minutes in a victory over UD Almería.

On 29 November 2008, he scored his 111th career Barcelona goal in all competitions in a 3-0 road win over Sevilla FC, moving him into the club's top ten all-time goalscorers.

On 14 February 2009, he scored his 99th and his 100th league goals for Barcelona in a 2-2 draw with Real Betis. Eto'o scored his 30th goal of the 2008-09 season in a La Liga match against Real Valladolid. The game ended 1-0 and meant that Barcelona kept a 6 point lead over Real Madrid in the league. He also scored against Villarreal CF in the game that put Barcelona one point away from lifting the 2008-09 La Liga.

Eto'o scored the opening goal in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final against Manchester United. Barcelona went on to win the final 2–0, thus completing the Treble.


Honours

Real Madrid

* Intercontinental Cup
o Winner (1): 1998
* UEFA Champions League:
o Winner (1): 1999-00
Mallorca

* Copa del Rey:
o Winner (1): 2002-2003

FC Barcelona

* La Liga:
o Winner (3): 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09
* Supercopa de España:
o Winner (2): 2005–06, 2006–07
* UEFA Champions League:
o Winner (2): 2005-06, 2008-09
* Copa del Rey:
o Winner (1): 2008-09

International

* African Cup of Nations:
o Winner (2): 2000,2002
o Runner up (1): 2008
* Confederations Cup
o Runner up (1): 2003
* 2000 Summer Olympics
o Gold medal (1): 2000

Individual

* African Cup of Nations Top Scorer: 2006, 2008
* African Player of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2005
* FIFPro World XI: 2004-05, 2005-06
* UEFA Champions League Best Forward: 2006
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2005, 2006
* Spanish La Liga Top Scorer: 2006
* World XI Striker: 2004-2005, 2005-2006
* Most Goals Scored In Domestic League RCD Mallorca: 54 Goals
* African Cup of Nations Top Scorer Of All Times: With 16 Goals
* Most Goals Scored In History Of Cameroon National Team
* FIFA World Player of the Year: Third Place: 2005

Nwankwo Kanu

Nwankwo Kanu

Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu was born on the 1st of August 1976 in Owerri, Nigeria, usually known simply as Kanu and nicknamed Papilo, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Portsmouth and also for the Nigerian national team. He is a member of the Igbo ethnic group, his name, Nwankwo, meaning "Babyboy born on Nkwo market day" in the Igbo language. He is the most highly-decorated African footballer in footballing history, having won a UEFA Champions League medal, a UEFA Cup medal, three FA Cup Winners Medals and two African Player of the Year awards amongst others. He is the only current Premier League player to have won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, Premier League, FA Cup and an Olympic Gold
Medal.He is also a UNICEF ambassador.

Personal information

Full name Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu
Date of birth 1 August 1976 (1976-08-01) (age 33)
Place of birth Owerri, Nigeria
Height 1.97 m (6 ft 5+1/2 in)
Playing position Striker

Club information

Current club Portsmouth
Number 27

Senior career*
Years Club Apps (Goals)†
1991–1992 Fed Works 035 (20)
1992–1993 Iwuanyanwu Nationale 025 (15)
1993–1996 Ajax 054 (25)
1996–1999 Internazionale 011 0(1)
1999–2004 Arsenal 119 (30)
2004–2006 West Bromwich Albion 053 0(7)
2006– Portsmouth 084 (15)

National team
1994– Nigeria 079 (13)




Career

Early career

Kanu began his career, aged fifteen, at First Division club Federation Works before moving to Iwuanyanwu Nationale in 1992. After a notable performance at the U-17 World Championships he was signed by Ajax Amsterdam in 1993 for €207,047. He made his Ajax debut in 1994 and went on to play 54 times for the Dutch side, scoring 25 goals; Kanu came on as a sub in Ajax's 1995 Champions League final win over AC Milan. In 1996, Ajax sold him to Serie A side Internazionale for around $4.7 million; that summer he captained the Nigerian team that won gold at the Olympics, famously scoring two late goals in the semi-finals against powerhouses Brazil to overturn a 2-3 scoreline into a 4-3 win in extra time. Kanu was also named African Footballer of the Year for that year.

However, soon after returning from the Olympics, Kanu underwent a medical examination at Inter, which revealed a serious heart defect; he underwent surgery in November 1996 to replace an aortic valve and did not return to his club until April 1997. In interviews, Kanu frequently cites his faith as a Christian,and has often mentioned this trying time of his career as an occasion when he prayed to God. Kanu's experience also led to his founding the Kanu Heart Foundation, an organisation that helps predominantly young African children who suffer heart defects. Kanu is known throughout Africa for his philanthropic work.

Portsmouth

Kanu was a free agent following his departure from West Brom, and he signed for Portsmouth F.C. on a one-year deal shortly before the start of the 2006-07 season. Pompey had undergone a revival in the second half of the previous campaign, following the return of Harry Redknapp as manager, avoiding relegation by four points after being in serious danger at the turn of the year. At the start of the 2006-07 season, they were undefeated in their first five games, during which they did not concede a single goal.

Kanu made his debut for Portsmouth as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers on 19 August 2006, the opening day of the 2006-07 Premier League season. He scored twice and missed a penalty. Though Kanu led the top scorers chart early in the season, he had a goal drought for the rest of the season, but still finished as the top goalscorer for Portsmouth, with 12 goals.

In his second season at Portsmouth, Kanu scored in both the FA Cup 1-0 semi-final win against West Bromwich Albion and the 1-0 win in the final against Cardiff City, earning him a third FA Cup winner's medal.

International career

Kanu has been a member of the Nigerian national team since 1994, making his debut against Sweden in a friendly. He (as of September 2009) has 78 caps and has scored 13 goals for his country. As well as winning the Olympics gold in the football event at Atlanta (1996), Kanu participated in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. Earlier on at the start of his career, Kanu was instrumental in Nigeria's overall success at the FIFA U-17 tournament in Japan (1993) and in their subsequent 2-1 victory over Ghana in the final.

He is the current captain of the Nigerian national team.

Honours

Country

* FIFA U-17 World Cup
o 1993 Winner (Gold Medal)

* FIFA World Cup
o Appearances: 1998 (Second Round), 2002 (First Round)

* African Cup of Nations
o Appearances: 2000 (Silver Medal), 2002 (Bronze Medal), 2004 (Bronze Medal), 2006 (Bronze Medal), 2008 (Quarter Finalist)

* Olympic Games
o 1996 Olympic Games (Gold Medal)

Club

* Nigerian Premier League: 1
o 1992-93, Iwuanyanwu Nationale

* Eredivisie: 3
o 1993-94, selected stars of Mgboushimini in Agip]]
o 1994-95, Ajax
o 1995-96, Ajax

* UEFA Champions League: 1
o 1994-95, Ajax

* UEFA Super Cup: 1
o 1995, Ajax

* Intercontinental Cup: 1
o 1995, Ajax

* UEFA Cup: 1
o 1997-98, Internazionale

* English Premier League: 2
o 2001-02, Arsenal
o 2003-04, Arsenal

* FA Cup: 3
o 2001-02, Arsenal
o 2002-03, Arsenal
o 2007-08, Portsmouth

* FA Community Shield: 1
o 1999, Arsenal

* Barclays Asia Trophy: 1
o 2007, Portsmouth

Awards

* 1996, African Footballer of the Year
* 1999, African Footballer of the Year

Mohamed Aboutrika

Mohamed Aboutrika

Mohamed Aboutrika was born on November 7,1978 is an Egyptian footballer. Aboutrika plays as a second striker and attacking midfielder for Egyptian club Al-Ahly as well as the Egyptian national football team. He has been dubbed as the Egyptian Zinedine Zidane for his technical skill and excellent vision of the field.

He was nominated for the 2006 CAF African Footballer of the Year award, and he came second in the 2008 African Footballer of The Year 2008

Aboutrika started playing professionally for Egyptian club Tersana before transferring to Al-Ahly in January 2004. He was the main reason for his team winning the national league and the CAF champions League two successive times, and maintaining a 71 match unbeaten run. He helped Al-Ahly to get the bronze medal in FIFA Club World Cup 2006. He also helped the Egyptian national team to win the African Cup of Nations Egypt 2006, and scored the winner to help Egypt win the 2008 tournament.

Aboutrika's contribution came not only in finding the net but also in creating from his playmaking role behind the strikers. His offensive skills were best demonstrated in his timing, as he often chose the right moment to come forward for shots on goal. He has recently been dubbed "The Smiling Assassin" by foreign media because of his two main trademarks: goalscoring and smiling. He is renowned in Egypt for his modest personality and kind heart. His trade mark celebration after a goal is to prostrate on the ground in submission and praise of Allah.

Personal information

Full name Mohamed Mohamed Mohamed Aboutrika
Date of birth November 7, 1978 (1978-11-07) (age 30)
Place of birth Giza, Egypt
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1/2 in)

Club information

Current club Al Ahly ?Al-Ahly
Number 22
Youth career
Tersana
Senior career*
Years Club Apps (Gls)
2000–2004 Tersana 50 (27)
2004– Al Ahly ?Al-Ahly 127 (63)
National team
2004– Egypt 63 (24)

Aboutrika's career

Aboutrika was born in a poor simple quarter in Giza. Like most football players, he lived a simple life playing football in the streets and honing his skills. When he turned 12, his friend, Magdi Abed, suggested he take the fitness test at Tersana Club, the second biggest club in Giza after Al-Zamalek. Indeed, Aboutrika passed all the tests and joined the club, "I joined the club through personal effort and without favouritism" is what Aboutrika has to say about that experience. He Was A G

With Tersana, Aboutrika demonstrated a proficiency which led to his promotion to the First Squad at the tender age of 17. He helped his team, who was playing in the second division, to reach the Egyptian League, being their top scorer in two successive seasons.

His first appearance close to the spotlight was in 2000-2001 Egyptian League, Aboutrika scored 6 goals and made many assists to his teammates, forming a link with the Syrian striker Mohannad Al-Boshi leading him to score 11 goals, most of them was with the help of his accurate passes. As a result, he was offered a place in the Egyptian national Olympic team, and the Egyptian national military team.

In 2001-2002, Aboutrika continued his playmaking skills and scored 7 important goals helping his team to stay in the Egyptian League. In 2002-2003, Aboutrika started to show his ability to score as well as making goals, he scored 11 goals for his team, and this is a very good rate for a midfielder player playing in a relatively weak team in the Egyptian League. The Egyptian newspapers started then to turn the spotlight on this player's promising talent.

African Footballer of the Year 2008

Mohamed Aboutrika (Al-Ahly, Egypt), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, Togo), Amr Zaki (Wigan Athletic, Egypt), Didier Drogba (Chelsea F.C., Cote d'Ivoire) and Michael Essien (Chelsea F.C., Ghana) make up the shortlist for the Glo-CAF African Footballer of the Year across the world.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday in Lagos, Nigeria, announced the final shortlist of categories for the Glo-CAF Awards 2008. The final three for the title was decided following votes from the head coaches of the 53 national associations affiliated to CAF.

For the topmost honour, Glo-CAF Player of the Year across the world, the contenders are Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo), Michael Essien (Chelsea and Ghana) and Mohamed Aboutrika (Al-Ahly and Egypt).

The shortlist for the Glo-CAF Best Player on the Continent are Mohamed Aboutrika (Al-Ahly, Egypt), Ahmed Hassan (Al-Ahly, Egypt), Flavio Amado (Al-Ahly, Angola).

The winner of the two categories will be announced at the awards gala on February 10, in Lagos, Nigeria.


Honours

National Team

* Winner of African Cup of Nations Ghana 2008 playing for Egypt.
* Winner of African Cup of Nations Egypt 2006 playing for Egypt.

Club

* Bronze Medalist at FIFA Club World Cup 2006
* Winner of CAF Champions League (2005) , (2006) , (2008).
* Winner of Egyptian League : (2004-2005) , (2005-2006) , (2006-2007) , (2007-2008),(2008-2009).
* Winner of African Super Cup (2006), (2007), (2009).
* Winner of Egyptian Soccer Cup (2006) , (2007).
* Winner of Egyptian Super Cup (2005) , (2006) , (2007) , (2008).

Individual

* Came 2nd in the 2008 CAF African Footballer of the Year award.
* Nominated for the 2006 CAF African Footballer of the Year award.
* Winner of the 2008 BBC African Footballer of the Year award.
* Nominated for the 2006 BBC African Footballer of the Year award.
* Winner of the 2008 CAF Best African player in Club Competitions.
* Winner of the 2006 CAF Best African player in Club Competitions.
* The World's most Popular Footballer amongst active Players in 2008 (IFFHS).
* The World's most Popular Footballer amongst active Players in 2007 (IFFHS).
* Top scorer in the FIFA Club World Cup 2006 with 3 goals.
* Top scorer in the CAF Champions League 2006 with 8 goals.
* Top scorer in the Egyptian League (2005-2006) with 18 goals.
* Top scorer in the Egyptian Soccer Cup (2007) with 4 goals.
* Best Player in Egypt (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008).
* Named in the CAF Starting XI in the CAN Egypt 2006.
* Named in the CAF Starting XI in the CAN Ghana 2008.
* Named in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup dream team((top 11 player)).
* Man of the final match in the 2008 African Cup of Nations after scoring the winning goal.