Mohamed Salah and Didier Drogba among best players never to win Afcon

Drogba was always the man for the big occasion at Chelsea – scoring nine goals in 10 major finals for the Blues and ultimately lifting the trophy in eight of those matches.

However, the striker’s killer instinct deserted him when he twice captained Ivory Coast in Afcon finals, with penalties his Achilles heel.

In 2006, the Elephants faced a shootout against hosts Egypt, but Drogba saw his opening effort saved and the Pharaohs won 4-2.

The West Africans returned to the final in 2012 as overwhelming favourites against Zambia, but Drogba’s downfall again came from 12 yards.

He spurned a chance to put the Ivorians ahead with 10 minutes left, skying a penalty high over the bar.

Drogba did find the net in the eventual shootout, but his team were beaten again.

His other campaigns saw the Elephants finish fourth (2008) and exit in the quarter-finals (2010 and 2013), before his retirement from international football in August 2014.

Six months later, Ivory Coast beat Ghana in the 2015 final, ironically on penalties.

A serial winner who played a role in ending his country’s civil war, an Afcon title was the thing that eluded Drogba.