Rather than call a family member, the Galatasaray striker rang his boyhood idol to settle a question about Drogba’s own Chelsea career.
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Victor Osimhen gave viewers an unforgettable television moment when he video-called his childhood hero, Didier Drogba, live during a celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Nigeria.
The special episode, hosted by veteran presenter Frank Edoho, was filmed in a hotel room setting and featured the Super Eagles striker taking on trivia questions for fun. One question in particular put Osimhen on the spot, asking him to name the exact number of goals Drogba scored for Chelsea across his two spells in west London between 2004 and 2015.
Osimhen believed the answer was 164 but was not fully confident, so instead of playing it safe with a routine Phone a Friend call, he decided to ring the man himself.
When Drogba picked up, Osimhen burst into laughter, greeting the Ivorian great warmly before Edoho, who is known as a Chelsea supporter, joined in praising Drogba’s achievements in both African and English football. Drogba then calmly confirmed that 164 was indeed the correct figure, helping Osimhen continue in the game.
A Friendship Years In The Making
Beyond the fun of the TV moment, the call reflects a bond between the two strikers that has grown over more than a decade. Osimhen has often spoken about idolising Drogba while growing up in Lagos, studying his power, aerial ability and knack for scoring in the biggest games.
Their relationship traces back to 2015, when Drogba publicly congratulated a teenage Osimhen after he won the Golden Boot at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Osimhen has since described that gesture as a turning point that pushed him harder in his early career in Europe.
The two have stayed close ever since, with Drogba said to follow Osimhen’s matches and offer him advice by phone and text. They were pictured together during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, and Drogba reportedly encouraged Osimhen to keep building on his legacy for African football.
When Osimhen completed his move to Galatasaray, a club Drogba once played for himself, the Ivorian is said to have welcomed him to Istanbul and offered guidance on settling into life at the Turkish giants. Drogba has been open about wanting to see Osimhen in Chelsea colours one day, though Galatasaray have shown no willingness to sell despite reported interest from several of Europe’s biggest clubs. For now, Osimhen remains focused in Istanbul, where he has won back-to-back Super Lig titles and ranks among the club’s most prolific foreign strikers.
📌 Did You Know?
- Drogba scored 164 goals for Chelsea across his two spells at the club between 2004 and 2015.
- Osimhen grew up in the Olusosun area of Lagos before rising through Nigeria’s youth ranks.
- Frank Edoho is Nigeria’s longtime host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and a well-known Chelsea supporter.
- Osimhen won the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the tournament that first caught Drogba’s attention.
- Drogba also played for Galatasaray during his career, giving him firsthand insight into life in Istanbul.
- Osimhen has won consecutive Turkish Super Lig titles since joining Galatasaray.
- Reports over the past year have repeatedly linked Osimhen with a move to Chelsea, a switch Drogba has publicly welcomed.
