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4 Characteristics That Made the Legendary Didier Drogba Great

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Didier Drogba is a former professional football player from Ivory Coast and is considered one of the greatest ever from Africa. He came to prominence during his time with English Premier League football club, Chelsea FC. Some of his achievements include winning African Footballer of the Year twice and being the all-time leading scorer for his national team.

Winning the Champions League, European football’s most coveted club trophy is probably the most memorable of all his accolades. He was the kind of player that even rival fans respected for the impact he had on the game. Such players are not easily forgotten, and the following are some of the characteristics that made him great.

1. Man for the big moment

Didier has an enviable record of scoring important goals in big games, which became a personal trademark of his. In 10 cup finals, he scored 10 goals that haven’t been matched by many other players. 4 of those came in 4 FA Cup final games, a record he still holds for most goals by a player in a final.

As mentioned earlier, the most memorable of those 10 goals came in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich. What made it so special was that it was his final game as a Chelsea player during his first stint.  With two minutes remaining and Chelsea trailing 1-0, he scored a powerful header to level the score.

This forced extra time and Chelsea went on to win on penalties, with Drogba scoring the winning spot-kick. Some of his teammates used to say that he would be a different animal in preparation for big games. It goes to show that he had extra motivation to shine on the big stage.

“When I was young there were a lot of players more talented than me. They had pure talent. But my desire was stronger than their talent” – Didier Drogba

2. Competitive spirit

He certainly wouldn’t have excelled at the level he did without the competitive spirit of a fighter. His upbringing also wasn’t very rosy, and he could have missed out on his great career. Most professional footballers go through an academy in their early years to nurture their talent and potential, which he didn’t.

This was because he never settled in one place in his younger years. The family struggles he had as a young person forced him to move around a lot. By the time he got to his 20s, he had to make his mark otherwise he would never have the chance to be a professional.

He got that opportunity with the French football club, Le Mans with whom he signed his first professional contract. Sometimes in life, you just have to fight for what you believe in, even if it looks improbable.

3. Tenacity

Like any successful person, Didier Drogba had his fair share of disappointments throughout his career. One of the most notable was his sending off in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final against Manchester United. With Chelsea having the upper hand and three minutes remaining, Drogba received a red card for slapping an opponent.

Had he stayed on, Chelsea would have won because he was going to take the final spot-kick that would win the trophy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be yet they were so close. The following season they had a chance at playing in the final again, but those hopes were snuffed out by Barcelona in the semis.

However three years later in what was, for the most part, a poor season, they again made it to the final. Through an almost bizarre set of circumstances, Chelsea somehow made it past a Barcelona team that was in its prime. In some ways, luck was on their side as they beat Barcelona in the semis before facing Bayern Munich.

This time, Drogba redeemed himself for what happened four years earlier by scoring the winning penalty. That level of persistence to keep trying after several failed attempts was impressive. It goes to show that persistence pays off eventually.

“I have won many trophies in my time, but nothing will ever top helping win the battle for peace in my country” – Didier Drogba

4. Highly influential

Beyond football, Drogba played a significant role in helping to bring an end to the civil war in Ivory Coast. That incident coincided with the Ivorian national team qualifying for their first-ever World Cup tournament in 2006. After their final qualifying game, he made a heartfelt speech on camera to his homeland calling for a cease-fire. It served to unite the war-torn nation and to rally around the national team to make its mark on the world stage.

For his efforts, he was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme. He continues to speak out about humanitarian prejudices in sports and being a voice for the voiceless. His heart for the people of Africa made him a popular figure with many people around the world. He invests a lot in his homeland to give younger generations opportunities to excel in life as he has. Real influence is measured by the lives you touch and leave in a better state than when you found them.

What are some of your fondest memories of Didier Drogba? Comment below!

Sija Mafu is an Online Enthusiast and Personal Development Fan. His vision is to see young people take responsibility for their lives and create bright futures for themselves, their families and society at large. He runs the Motivated2Inspire blog to inspire young people to pursue their life purpose. Also check out his free training courses to set you up for a life of success.

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Success Advice

Why You Shouldn’t Discount A Brick And Mortar Store In 2025

We’re constantly told about how stores are closing down and how shoppers prefer online options, but is it worth questioning this theory?

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How to grow a brick and mortar store
Image Credit: Midjourney

In 2024, you’d be forgiven for thinking that physical shopping is a thing of the past. We’re constantly told about how stores are closing down and how shoppers prefer online options. But is it worth questioning this theory? (more…)

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Success Advice

How to Alter Your Business Approach With Technological Advancements

Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner.

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altering business approach
Image Credit: Midjourney

Technology’s evolution has impacted everything, and business is no exception. Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner. Entrepreneurs unable to do so are being wiped out of the market.

There is no doubt that AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) have taken over the business world. These technological advancements are impacting decision-making, success percentages, and other entrepreneurial aspects.

Adapting to these developments is integral to business success. Let’s explore how you can accomplish these milestones.

Embed the strength of AI and ML.

AI has modified business operations in major ways. For instance, companies have employed bots for customer support. These bots go through an effective learning process via Machine Learning before being able to answer like humans.  

Bots can also perform detailed data analytics and make business moves with high success percentages.

ML is used more for the analysis of data chunks and generating successful predictions. This simply means that business owners do not have to worry about large-scale financial losses. 

In terms of deployment and usage, a reputed company like Netflix employs machine learning for decision-making.

Blockchain is increasing the count of business opportunities

Tampering of financial transactions is quite common and causes severe monetary damage to customers. With the rise of digital payments, this risk has increased. 

Blockchain is used to elevate your experience for monetary transfers. It combats penetrating events to extract confidential customer information. 

Most business sectors are using block chain but finance and supply chain management sections have a higher count. These two corporate sections have several monetary deposits and withdrawals taking place. 

In terms of percentage, approximately 72% and 5% of finance and supply chain firms have implemented block chain successfully.

Dedicate Yourself to Continuous Learning and Individual Development

You invest in learning some of the very important skills, including digital marketing, financial management, and how to gain customers as an entrepreneur.

You need to set up your knowledge base about doing business on Coursera and Udemy with the basics that are necessary for the business, building further by networking with experts through webinars.

Besides, Agile methodology will introduce elasticity to your company: this review and feedback system with further correction regularly will allow for enhancing efficiency and promptly reacting to the market.

Developing key skills to achieve goals

Running a business successfully is not only about having niche/domain knowledge. Business owners need to have communication / soft skills as well in addition to niche information.

Here are some key technical/domain-related areas that business owners should have a strong grip on.

Data Storage on Cloud: These days, companies do not store their data on physical servers. Therefore business owners should know how data is stored/edited/removed/updated via AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other platforms.

Data Analysis/Interpretation Qualities: These days, data is as precious as gold. Business owners with data analysis abilities make correct predictions. As a result, their ventures grow in volume.

Development/Coding Knowledge

Programming knowledge gives business owners an edge whether the application is developed in-house or outsourced. It assists in getting updates deployed and handling application underperformance without getting professional support every time.

Hacking proof framework

There is no benefit of having an advanced automated system if can be penetrated. Successful business owners have above-average knowledge of cyber security and hacking attempts. They are able to choose top-notch anti-hacking software without much of an ambiguity.

Communication Abilities/Soft Skills

Here are some key communication qualities that business owners should have:

Communication/Conversation: Business owners should use to-the-point sentences in both written and oral communication.

Issue Resolution Abilities: Business owners should be able to drill down to problems and solve them. This is done successfully only if an entrepreneur has in-depth business domain knowledge.

Agile Implementations

It is mandatory for business owners to have knowledge of iterative/agile models. With such a competitive environment, it is impossible for business owners to succeed without adopting an agile framework.

Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy

A productive business venture starts with a clear vision. The first factor making a business successful is the idea behind it. It helps with endless growth and combating competition successfully. Katherine Philips once mentioned that business goals are inevitable if goals are set concretely.

  • Goals should be based on smart achievements instead of complexity. Focus on the value that each one of them adds. 
  • Business objectives should not be vague. Key indicators should be constructed to measure the success/failure of each milestone.
  • Be realistic when setting goals. Do not aim at impossible milestones since they can be demotivating.
  • Milestones/goals need to be time-bound. Set a completion deadline for each one of them. 
  • Business goals should not be alien. Owners can think out of the box but not be obsolete / unrelated.

Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy

Business owners cannot succeed without having a network. Some tips help in this case. Attend conferences and professional gatherings to connect with other entrepreneurs.
Here are some other related points business owners should pay attention to.

  • Attend meetings and conferences to stay updated with trends and meet business owners who already have well-set ventures. This helps in enhancing the learning curve of new / growing entrepreneurs.
  • Being a part of business communities/groups is very productive. When one shares opinions and discusses decision-making tactics, it helps in preventing errors and enhancing success rate.
  • Even the most experienced business owners have mentors as learning never stops. Take part in mentorship programs so there is an assurance that you are following the correct roadmap.

Conclusion

There is absolutely no doubt that business dimensions have evolved with technological advancements. Successful entrepreneurs have grabbed these changes in due course of time and continue to evolve. On the other hand, people following old paths and conventional steps fade out of competition. In a nutshell, keep an eye on the processes and practices you follow as these factors decide success rate.

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Success Advice

Understanding the Power of Yes and No: How to Create Boundaries For Success

These words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds

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Creating legal boundaries
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The two smallest yet most powerful words in life, “Yes” and “No,” have a big impact on our growth on both personal and professional levels. In addition to affecting the choices we make every day, these words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds. (more…)

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Motivation

From Couch Potato to Go-Getter: A Step-by-Step Motivation Plan for Everyone

By understanding what motivates you, you can turn your dreams into reality

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How to be motivated
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Are you tired of feeling like a couch potato? Do you want to transform your life and become a go-getter? You’re not alone! Many people struggle with motivation, but the good news is that change is possible. (more…)

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