Position: Striker
Date of Birth: March 11, 1978
Club: Galatasaray
International Debut: v South Africa (September 8, 2002)
World Cup Appearances: 5
World Cup Goals: 2
Veteran forward Didier Drogba has enjoyed an outstanding career at club level but success with the Ivory Coast has frustratingly eluded him so far.
The 36-year-old - most recently playing for Galatasaray, but set to move on after the World Cup - routinely proved himself for Chelsea during a glittering eight-year stay at the English club, winning a host of trophies, including three Premier League titles and the 2012 UEFA Champions League.
But the prolific targetman is still searching for his first major honours with his national team - and the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil may be his last chance.
Drogba's game - based on power, strength, aggression and a natural goalscorer's instinct - has showed signs of slowing in recent times, and he has been forced to adapt to the demands of playing regularly into his later years.
He was even dropped by Ivory Coast coach Sabri Lamouchi in March 2013 after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations, although he was brought back into the squad in August after proving his fitness and form.
The good news for Ivory Coast fans is that while Drogba's consistency may have faded, he is still capable of turning in big performances on the major stage.
The captain and two-time African Footballer of the Year – whose international scoring rate is better than a goal every two games - opened his account in his first match at the World Cup, netting a late consolation in a 2-1 loss against Argentina at Germany 2006.
But he was suspended for Ivory Coast's first-ever win at the global football showpiece - a 3-2 come-from-behind victory against Serbia and Montenegro.
Their failure to reach the last 16 at that event was replicated in South Africa four years later, as they were once again placed in a difficult group.
A second-half substitute in an opening 0-0 draw with Portugal, Drogba was restored to the starting line-up against Brazil but his late goal meant little as they lost 3-1.
They rounded off their campaign with a 3-0 win against North Korea, although that was not enough to prevent them from going home.
It represented yet another failure to deliver in major tournaments for a country that has not won an Africa Cup of Nations title since 1992, despite witnessing a golden generation of players including not only Drogba, but the likes of Yaya and Kolo Toure, as well as Salomon Kalou and Didier Zokora.
They will be out to spring a surprise, however, when they travel to Brazil.
A tricky Group C has pitted them against Colombia, Greece and Japan and, with three games in little over a week to negotiate in the first phase of the competition, it may be too much to expect that Drogba's legs will stand up to starting in each of those.
Regardless, as charismatic off the pitch as he is on it, you can be sure that he will be at the very centre of their campaign.
A revered figure in his home country, Drogba's influence goes way beyond football, with the Ivory Coast's all-time leading scorer even credited with playing a key role in temporarily ceasing a civil war that raged for five years.
His impromptu national address to television cameras after their qualification for the 2006 World Cup is the stuff of folklore.
And should he produce another starring performance by helping guide his country beyond the group stages for the first time at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, it would undoubtedly cement his place in the history books as one of Africa's leading sporting icons.