Cote d’Ivoire and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has been voted as Africa’s greatest FA Cup winner by Goal readers.
According to results from an online poll, the former striker reigns supreme above former Nigeria and Arsenal forward Nwankwo Kanu, ex-Cote d’Ivoire and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure and erstwhile Liberia, Chelsea and Manchester City man George Weah.
It is a reaffirmation of the 43-year-old’s status as one of the most iconic players ever to emerge from the continent.
In the poll, Drogba garnered 47.5 percent, nearly half of the total votes cast. Kanu came second with 37.7 percent, followed by Toure with 9.4 percent while Weah placed bottom with 5.4 percent.
While Drogba won the cup on four occasions (2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2011-12), Kanu clinched the title three times, twice with Arsenal (2001-02, 2002-03) and once with Portsmouth (2007-08), and finished as a losing finalist in 2000-01 with The Gunners.
Toure was on the winning side once (2010-11) and finished as a runner-up in the 2012-13 campaign. Weah, meanwhile, was a champion in 1999-00 during his days with Chelsea.
In the 2006-07 final against Manchester United, Drogba’s goal decided the fixture as his strike in extra-time ensured a 1-0 win. He had scored two times en route to the climax.
In 2009, the Ivorian, having successively scored against Coventry City in the sixth round and Arsenal in the semi-final, made his presence felt in the grand finale once again, drawing the Blues level after Louis Saha’s opener for Everton before Frank Lampard netted to clinch the cup for Chelsea.
There story was not much different for the striker in the 2009-10 season when his only goal ensured a 1-0 win over Portsmouth in the final, having scored twice on the way to the big decider.
In the 2012 final, the former Marseille man went ahead to cement his place as the true king of the FA Cup final as he joined Ramires on the scoresheet to seal a 2-1 triumph over Liverpool. By so doing, the former Galatasaray forward made history to become the first player to score in four different FA Cup finals.
