📍Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
1978 – 1983“Didier Drogba was born in Abidjan, the great port city of Côte d'Ivoire, in March 1978, the eldest of a large family. His father, Albert, was a bank clerk. His uncle, Michel Goba, was a professional footballer in France, and Didier's father had raised Michel after their own parents died, so when Michel offered to take his young nephew to France for a better education and a chance in life, the family agreed. In 1983, at the age of five, Didier left Abidjan and his parents and went to live with his uncle. He was desperately homesick, and the long, lonely years moving with his uncle from club to club across France were hard. After three years he went home to Abidjan, where he played football in the streets and car parks of the city with his friends. But when his parents lost their jobs, he was sent back to France to live with his uncle again, and in 1991 his parents and siblings followed, settling eventually in Antony, near Paris. He was a late developer, turning professional with Le Mans at twenty-one, but he became one of the greatest strikers of his era, winning four Premier League titles and the Champions League with Chelsea, scoring in the final. As captain of Côte d'Ivoire, he made a televised plea in 2005 for an end to the country's civil war, helping to bring a ceasefire. His foundation works to bring health care and education to children across Côte d'Ivoire.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
🛰️ Satellite view · © Google