African Legends Cup of Nations

Didier Drogba has already eliminated one fine African goalkeeper from the inaugural African Legends Cup of Nations, dispatching Vincent Enyeama with relative ease in the First Round.

While Nigeria’s Enyeama fell short in the ‘club honours’ category, having won precious little since signing for Lille LOSC in France, El-Hadary may represent sterner opposition for The Drog.

The duo, of course, came head to head in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations final, where El-Hadary kept Drogba at bay during the match, and then denied the towering frontman during the shootout.

The Ivorian later described El-Hadary as his toughest opponent, but which of the duo will have the upper hand in their Alcon showdown?

International Career

El-Hadary gets an almost perfect score here, and indeed, there is not an African player out there who’s enjoyed more success in the Nations Cup than the veteran stopper.

He’s a four-time champion, having been present for Egypt’s success in 1998 and then their trio of triumphs between 2006 and 2010, notably denying Drogba’s Ivorians in that first shootout triumph.

As the squad’s elder statesman, he also reached the final in 2017, only to fall to defeat against Cameroon in Libreville.

Unlike many of that magnificent Pharaohs’ generation who failed to reach the World Cup, El-Hadary did play on the grandest stage of all, saving a penalty and becoming the competition’s oldest player ever when Egypt fell to Saudi Arabia in 2018.

For all he achieved at club level, Drogba has to look back on his international career with a measure of disappointment.

He did break new ground with the Ivory Coast—qualifying them for their first World Cup in 2006—but the Elephants’ Golden Generation underperformed by never advancing from the group stage on three occasions.

Similarly, while Drogba reached the Nations Cup final twice, he fell short on both occasions, and had retired by the time the Elephants won the Afcon crown in 2015.

He was a one-time Nations Cup top scorer, and no one has netted more goals for the Ivory Coast, although he still falls well short here.