Drogba wants to win the Cup for Ivory Coast fans

Didier Drogba admits he is determined to win the FA Cup for Chelsea on Saturday to reward the legions of Ivorians who will watch the clash against Everton.

Ivory Coast striker Drogba, expects Saturday’s showpiece match at Wembley to draw a massive television audience in his home country and he has no intention of letting down his loyal fans.

“The FA Cup is a big thing there. The whole of the Ivory Coast will be watching because there’s millions and millions of Chelsea fans there. That can help us to win the cup,” Drogba said.

After the agony of crashing out of the Champions League semi-finals to a late goal against Barcelona, Drogba knows the FA Cup offers Chelsea a chance to end their season on a high note.

Since that controversial exit to Barca, which sent Drogba on a frustrated rant at referee Tom Hennin Ovrebo, Chelsea have won all three of their league matches.

Drogba credits Chelsea’s resiliance to their rock solid team-spirit and he is confident that will make the difference at Wembley this weekend.

“It’s a different competition. The good thing is that even though we are out of the Champions League, the spirit is always good here,” Drogba said.

“We are together and that is really important. We’re going to do our best, more than our best.”

Defeat against Everton would leave Chelsea without a trophy for the second successive season and Drogba’s team-mate John Obi Mikel admits that kind of failure can’t be contemplated at such an ambitious club.

The Nigerian said: “It will be a failure if we don’t win on Saturday. Last season we didn’t win anything and this season we have to make sure we do.

“We are the favourites, but Everton are a very good side. So we have to make sure we play well, keep passing and then we will create chances.”

Mikel believes the pain of losing to Barcelona will provide all the incentive neccessary to brush aside Everton.

“We have tried very hard and come very close in Europe in the last few seasons but we haven’t won it,” he said.

“That will definitely help us want to win on Saturday because we haven’t done so well in the last two seasons.”

Saturday’s match will be the last for Blues interim manager Guus Hiddink, who resumes his role as Russia coach on a full-time basis after the final.

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is favourite to take over but like many of his Chelsea colleagues, Mikel just wants a manager who stays long enough to give the club some stability.

“Guus has come in and done fantastically well but now he has to leave. I don’t know who is coming in,” Mikel said.

“We’ve had a few managers in the last few years and haven’t been able to find the right one.

“Guus is a really good guy and a good manager. He knows how to get the best out of the side. Sometimes he has to kick you and say wake up.

“Players might not like that but they admire him. If you don’t play well you sit on the bench.

“He taught the team to do the dirty work. Not just to play but to defend as well when we don’t have the ball.”