Former Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi has named Didier Drogba as the greatest African footballer of all time, overlooking football icons like Mohamed Salah, Samuel Eto’o, Riyad Mahrez, and George Weah.
The 2013 AFCON winner, now a football pundit on the Obi One Podcast, made his selection during an elimination-style interview with GOAL, where he was asked to choose between legendary African players in head-to-head matchups.
How Mikel Made His Choice
Mikel’s selections in the first round were:
- Didier Drogba over Sadio Mané
- George Weah over Samuel Eto’o
- Mohamed Salah over Riyad Mahrez
- Yaya Touré over Jay-Jay Okocha
In the semifinals, he picked Drogba over Weah and Yaya Touré over Salah, setting up a final face-off between Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré.
African legends knockout with Mikel John Obi pic.twitter.com/jLnEs9qBsr
— GOAL (@goal) February 6, 2025
When asked to choose between the two, Mikel settled on Drogba, citing their time together at Chelsea as a major factor.
“Oh my God, I played with him for so many years, and we won everything together, so I have to go with Didier,” Mikel said.
During their time at Chelsea, Mikel and Drogba played 189 matches together, winning multiple major titles, including:
- UEFA Champions League (2012)
- UEFA Europa League (2013)
- Premier League (2009/10, 2014/15)
- Four FA Cups
While Mikel’s choice might spark debate, his decision reflects the impact Drogba had on his career and African football as a whole.