Madueke remembers Drogba's powerful strike against Tottenham in his first game as a fan

2023 European U21 Championship winner with England, Noni Madueke has revealed that he attended his first game as a fan in 2012, and the clash was between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.

Madueke was a schoolboy at Crystal Palace eleven years ago, before transferring to Tottenham Hotspur in 2014 and four years later he joined PSV Eindhoven after rejecting a scholarship at the north London club. 

The left-footed attacking player returned to London in the January transfer window, signing a seven-and-a-half-year contract at Chelsea, with a club option to extend for a further year.

Madueke was a non-playing substitute for Chelsea in their 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on February 26, 2023.

Chelsea thrashed Spurs 5-1 in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley in 2012 with Didier Drogba scoring the pick of goals with a powerful shot that beat goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini.

Other African players on parade at the National Stadium in England were John Obi Mikel, Salomon Kalou, Emmanuel Adebayor and Benoît Assou-Ekotto.

Speaking to Chelsea's official website, Madueke said: "My first game was Chelsea against Tottenham, in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in 2012, when Drogba banged it with his left foot! That was the first-ever game I went to.

"My dad just got us tickets. He’s not a Chelsea fan, but my brother and my sister are, so he just got us tickets for a family day out.

"Didier Drogba got that great goal - I'll always remember that one, when he spun William Gallas and banged it into the top corner - and Chelsea smashed Tottenham 5-1. They won the final that year as well."

Madueke, who earned a move to Chelsea in exchange for €35million, was involved in every single game played by England in this summer's U21 EURO.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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