Factbox on Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba who was named 2009 African Footballer of the Year at the annual Confederation of African Football awards on Thursday.
* Born March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Club career
* Drogba begins his career at French Ligue 2 (second division) club Le Mans.
* Makes his mark in the 2002-03 season scoring 17 goals in 34 appearances for Ligue 1 side Guingamp.
* Moves to Olympique Marseille in 2003 and scores 18 league goals in helping them reach the UEFA Cup final.
* Joins Chelsea in 2004 for 24 million pounds ($35.81 million) and wins the Premier League and the League Cup in his first season, scoring in extra time in a 3-2 win over Liverpool in the final.
* Wins his second league title the following season when Chelsea became only the second team to win back-to-back English titles in the Premier League era.
* In 2007, scores both goals in Chelsea's 2-1 League Cup final win over Arsenal and the winner in the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium against Manchester United.
* In the 2008 Champions League final, Drogba is sent off in the 117th minute for clashing with Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, becoming only the second player to be red carded in a European Cup final after Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann in 2006.
* Banned for six European matches after confronting the referee and making a dramatic outburst towards the television camera in reaction to Chelsea''s controversial elimination by Barcelona in the 2008-09 Champions League semi-finals.
* Scores in the 2009 FA Cup final victory over Everton.
International career
* Wins his first cap on Sept. 8 2002 against South Africa and scores his first goal on Feb. 11 2003 versus Cameroon in a 3-0 victory.
* Captains Ivory Coast to African Cup of Nations final in 2006 which they lose to 4-2 on penalties to Egypt after a 0-0 draw, with Drogba's penalty saved.
* Named African Footballer of the Year in 2006 narrowly edging out Samuel Eto'o by 79 votes to 74.
* Helps his country through a convincing World Cup qualifying campaign in 2009, during which he scored five goals as the Ivorians finished unbeaten.
