Comparing Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o’s AFCON Performances

• Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o are two of Africa's GOATS
• They carried Africa's flag across the world with exemplary performances in their careers
• Both also made their mark in Africa's biggest football competition, AFCON

The African continent has quietly had a debate about who is the better striker between icons Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba.

Although it may be straightforward, it can be a heated debate for most fans. So, who has the better stats in the Africa Cup of Nations?

Drogba's country, Cote d'Ivoire, will host the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations from January 13 to February 11.

The Chelsea icon is hoping the Elephants can lift the title on home soil, while Eto'o will be looking for a Cameroonian victory for the first time since 2017.

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Both are considered the continent's greatest-ever players, always ranked in the top five of many all-time lists. So how do they compare? Sports Brief takes a deeper look.

Didier Drogba's career

The towering Ivorian conquered Europe, capturing the hearts and minds of millions of Chelsea fans around the world with his ability to deliver when the lights are bright.

He is best remembered for his time at Stamford Bridge, where he played under Jose Mourinho and other great managers. He retired in 2018 as an African football icon and a Chelsea great.

The Ivory Coast legend had two spells at Chelsea, scoring 164 goals in 381 games and winning four Premier Leagues and the 2012 Champions League, per BBC.

Drogba was a late bloomer. He started playing top-flight football at 23. he won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2006/07 and 2009/10.

For Cote d'Ivoire, he bagged 65 goals in 105 caps. He appeared in three World Cups and was named African Footballer of the Year twice.

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One thing he didn't win was the Africa Cup of Nations despite playing in a GOlden Generation with the Toure brothers, Kolo and Yaya.

Samuel Eto'o's career

Unlike Drogba, Eto'o was a highly-rated prospect as a teenager and lived up to the lofty expectations.

One thing he has over Drogba is winning titles on the international stage with Cameroon. He retired with an Olympic gold and two AFCON medals. He was also voted the African Player of the Year on four occasions.

At club level, his resume is even more impressive. At his peak, played for Barcelona and Inter Milan, where he won back-to-back trebles in 2009/09 and 2009/10. He also scored some big goals in big games like the Champions League finals in 2006 and 2009.

Eto'o scored over 350 goals in his career and retired in 2019.

Eto'o vs Drogba at AFCON

Eto'o has more goals than Drogba at AFCON. In fact, no African footballer has scored more AFCON goals than the Cameroon legend.

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Eto'o played a major role in the 2000 AFCON final against Nigeria, per the Guardian. He scored in that game and in the Olympic final win over Spain.

The former Inter Milan striker won the 2000 and 2002 AFCON, and the last one he played was in the 2010 edition. He has 18 goals in the tournament.

Drogba scored 11 goals in the tournament. He reached the final twice and fell short on both occasions. Laurent Pokou, Rashidi Yekini, and Hassan El-Shazly have scored more AFCON goals than Drogba.

All stats courtesy of Transfermarkt.

Drogba reacts to AFCON draw

Sports Brief also reported on Drogba's reaction to his country being placed in the same group as Nigeria.

The two West African nations were drawn in Group A alongside Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

"It is a very difficult group. Nigeria is of course one of the favourites and to have them in our group, it is going to be an exciting challenge," he said.