Didier Drogba Biography Facts: From Childhood till Date

Yes, he is the Accountant who turned Footballer. Our Didier Drogba Biography Facts entails a full life story of his life before and after fame. His profile and lifestyle is indeed admired by millions of football fans across the globe. According to popular believe, Didier Drogba is seen as the only football star with an unmatched desire, perhaps, stronger than the talent of Lionel Messi and C. Ronaldo. This heavy article gives you a full life story of Didier Drogba, covering major activities from his childhood time till date.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Early Life & Sufferings

Popularly called ‘Tito’ meaning ‘Giant’, he was born with the full name Didier Yves Drogba Tébily on March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. His birth was made possible by two Ivorian local bankers who fell in love in the mid 1970’s. Didier Drogba (Pictured right) in his early days grew up in his remote local community where harsh living condition existed. His early life saw hunger which ravaged his community. This economic situation made thousands of Ivorians flee their country for greener pasture in France. Ideally, Didier Drogba during his childhood was stunted with malnutrition which limited his physical and mental growth. His parents (Albert and Clotilde Drogba) struggled with their local banking jobs which still couldn’t put much food on the table. For them, the only hope was to wait for monies promised to be raised by their relation (Michel Goba) who as at then, fled to France due to hunger. This money was to aid their son (Didier) leaving Ivory Coast to France.

Didier Drogba’s uncle ‘Michel Goba’ (pictured below), at that time played his football at a lower division club in France.

Initially, their hope was to see Michel Goba (Drogba’s Uncle) coming to Ivory coast to visit them and then taking their son alongside with him to France. Thou, this hope failed as France refused Michel Goba a visa to visit Ivory Coast. He could only send money which could afford visa processing for one person. This resulted in Didier Drogba at a tender age of 5, leaving his country and travelling alone to France.

Travelling along was fearing for Didier. This was a strange journey for the poor boy who haven’t seen or entered an Airplane all his life. Didier Drogba had to travel alone to France. At the airport, his parents placed a large label on his neck which says;  ‘DIDIER DROGBA TO MEET MICHEL GOBA IN PARIS’. Ideally, this tag made everyone at the Airport to look at him, thus wondering how desperate his parents were in getting him out of the country.

Michel Goba as pictured above is a mentor and father-figure to Didier Drogba.

He waited and welcomed little 5 year old Didier who to arrived at Paris Airport.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Early Life in France

A few months after Didier Drogba got to France,  his parents at Ivory Coast made a resolution. They were of the view that their son should focus entirely on academics and not football. However, Uncle Michel Goba’s views were different. He wanted Didier to become a footballer like him. However at several occassion, both parties had heated agreements on that issue. However, a resolution was made at the end. It was resolved that Didier Drogba should mix both football and academics. Its was also resolved that he should’t join a football academy. Didier Drogba (pictured below) became formally registered to his school’s junior football team instead of an academy.

Despite integrating academics and little of football. Didier still felt unsettled living with his uncle. He became homesick not so long after his arrival in France.

When interviewed recently, Didier Drogba said;…

‘When I arrived in France, I cried every day. Not because I was in France – I could have been anywhere – but because I was so far, far away from my parents. I missed them so much.’

Didier only endured for three years before giving up and telling his uncle he needs to return to his parents in Ivory Coast. His uncle angrily granted this wish. This saw Didier returned home to be with his parents in Abidjan.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Leaving France

Didier Drogba’s return to his home country at the age of 8 years didn’t go well. Ivory Coast was still at the peak of economic collapse at the time of his return. It got to a point his parents couldn’t afford his school fees. This ofcourse made him stop schooling. For Didier, playing football was the only option left. He got fond of going to nearby field to play football with colleagues. This he did for three years until he was 11.

At the age of 11, Didier Drogba’s parents lost their jobs. The heat of Ivory Coast’s economic downtime could no longer be beared.

Full of regrets for allowing their son leave France, Didier Drogba’s parents still reached out on Michel Goba for assistance. Didier Drogba at some point personally admitted his mistakes by not remaining in France. Fortunately Uncle Michel Goba responded and sent money for Didier Drogba to make a second coming to France.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Second Stay at France

In his second coming to France, Uncle Michel Goba still followed his parent’s wish. He decided to still put Didier Drogba in school and also teaching him the necessary antics in soccer. Due to academic pursuits, Didier maintained football at the youth level where he played as a right back. His Uncle Michel Goba connected him to a youth football club ‘Levallois SP’ in France in 1993. He helped him in doing all his paper work as seen below;

Didier Drogba at this time concentrated on part-time football while still studying at high school. A year later, Drogba moved to pursue an education in Accounting and joined Le Mans.  He studied Accountancy at the University of Maine. As a mere right back, Didier Drogba was more interested in his accountant degree than football. Thou, he played football part-time.

Didier Drogba (Pictured below) never wanted to be a professional footballer until he was done with his education. Ideally, Didier Drogba got an accounting degree at the age of 21. Didier Drogba today is a registered chartered accountant.

At the age of 21 after his accounting degree, Didier decided to focus fully on football. First he worked on himself by learning to be a striker instead of a right back defender. At that time, there were a lot of players more talented than him. They had pure talent. But Didier Drogba’s desire was stronger than their talent.

His hard work got him a transfer to Guingamp in 2002, where he helped the club avoid relegation to the second division. This accolade also got him transferred to Marseille for the 2003-04 season, where he scored 19 goals in 35 games to win the French Ligue 1 Player of the Year. Having reached his athletic prime, the 26-year-old was targeted by many of Europe’s top clubs, and Chelsea paid a transfer fee of roughly $36 million for his services in 2004. The rest is history!

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: The King of Victory Celebrations

Many fans have described Didier Drogba as the king of victory celebrations. When Didier Drogba leads a particular dance style, others imitate him. Watch Video Below;

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Unique Singing Talent

Before their first World Cup, the Ivory Coast squad made a recording with Magic System, a local band, and Drogba proved to the world that he can sing as well as play football. Watch;

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Masterminding National Team Events

Didier Drogba’s national team mates truly knows what togetherness is. Their nature is unique and can’t be compared to other African National teams. They act like real brothers to each other. Didier Drogba is always at the center of every event.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Ice Bucket Challenge

Didier Drogba loves the ice bucket challenge. He does that to promote research donations and awareness of the ‘amyotrophic lateral sclerosis’ disease.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Mother cooked for Fans Free of Charge

The mother of Cote d’Ivoire international, Didier Drogba leads a team of women who cook for the national team and their supporters.

Clotilde Drogba loves to do the traditional home cooking of beans, pepper soup, white rice and stew. According to her,  ‘I love to contribute to my nations at tournament by feeding both the national team supporters free of charge. My food give them the strength to cheer the team to every final victory’ .

Every match day, hundreds of the Elephants supporters queue up with empty bowls to collect food free off charge from the mother of the most influential Ivorian player, before heading to the stands to sing and clap.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Changeling Messi in the Epic Food Advert

Didier Drogba has once featured in a Turkish Airline epic food advert where he challenged Lionel Messi’s dominance in football. This advert has been applauded by millions of football fans.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: A shot at his Anger

Despite being diplomatic, Didier Drogba can also loose his style in anger. This can only happened when having the feeling of his team or himself being cheated.

He once pointed the finger at referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after the Champions League clash with Barcelona. This outburst as presented below shows Didier Drogba really going mad.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Helping Friends

He has once advised and helped his troubled Togolese friend ‘Emmanuel Adebayor’ resolve his family issues.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Loved by the Whites

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Love Life

Yes, going below people’s expectations, Didier Drogba settled for a lady from his native Côte d’Ivoire. He is currently married to Diakité Lalla, a Malian woman whom he met in Paris, and the couple have three children together. His eldest son, Isaac, was born in France in 1999, but grew up in England and has played in the Chelsea academy system.

Below is the photo of Didier Drogba’s traditional wedding which was done in Abidjan.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Drogba’s Kids

Below is Isaac Drogba (Didier’s first son) and Iman Drogba (Didier’s First and only daughter). Isaac Drogba has played for Chelsea Under 14s.

Didier Drogba also has a last son called Kieran Drogba. He was born in 2010.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Relationship with Son, Isaac Drogba.

Isaac Drogba is pictured below with his father Didier who really loves to celebrate his son. He is currently 17 years old as at the time of writing this article. Didier Drogba’s son Isaac wants to follow in father’s footsteps at Chelsea but plans to represent England and not the Ivory Coast. He even snubbed France.

The public display of Isaac Drogba as seen below isn’t a days old.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Enjoying Family Picknicks

Didier Drogba loves to take his wife and children on holiday on his luxurious yacht. The celebrity footballer has was been seen on a sporting T-shirt with a picture of Mike Tyson across the front as he enjoyed a day out in St Tropez with his family.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Hanging out with Rihanna

Didier Drogba has once been spotted hanging out and partying together with Rihanna. This was after Chelsea’s Champions League Victory.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Fighting and Dying for Chelsea FC

Indeed, Didier Drogba was prepared to live, fight and die for his most beloved club ‘Chelsea FC’. He had moments when his shirt was torn off in his struggle for goals.

He is a true Chelsea Legend come rain, come sun.

Didier Drogba was prepared to even die for his beloved Chelsea FC.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Love for Frank Lampard

Didier Drogba has always expressed his love for Frank Lampard. On regular occassions, mostly during celebrations, he do form the habit of singing the Super Frank song to Chelsea fans.

Didier Drogba Biography Facts: Relationship with Abrahimovic

Didier Drobga indeed has a strong relationship with Roman Abrahimovic (Chelsea FC owner).

This is Lifebogger’s popularity index of Didier Drogba.

As usual, we end our coverage with what you have been waiting for. We present to you the 164 Goals scored by Didier Drogba. Watch Below. Remember to Place a comment below;..