Our sell-out at Malaysia's national stadium sets a new record for a Chelsea friendly, with the noise inside the arena reaching previously unimagined levels. For Drogba, who missed our 2008 tour of the region, it was an unforgettable experience, demonstrated by his filming of the crowd on his phone prior to kick-off.
The support clearly had an effect, with the 33-year-old Ivorian creating the game's only goal, his venomous free-kick rebounding off the post and in off the Malaysian goalkeeper.
'The reception was amazing,' Drogba said afterwards. 'People used to tell me we have a lot of fans here in Asia and what we saw today was unbelievable, and the whole time we have been here, the passion really was special.
'It is good to travel and feel who our supporters are. Now we know when we are playing we are not only playing for our Chelsea fans in England, we are also playing for these people.'
The forward's free-kick was the standout moment in a game made difficult by energetic opposition and an awkward pitch, not to mention the hot and humid conditions.
'I think it was a good opportunity to try and score, I'm not sure if the ball crossed the line but the most important thing is the result,' Drogba said. 'It's good for the team to win, even if it was a friendly and the game was very difficult.
'Everything made it difficult, our opposition, the heat, the pitch. We have had around 14 days of training since we started, not a lot, and our fitness is difficult starting again here.
'The pitch was not easy and also the weather, the humidity, the heat, it is really difficult. I've said before it is similar to Ivory Coast, so I am a little bit used to it even though it is very difficult. I think it's difficult for both teams, even though they are from here it must be difficult for them as well. That's how it is, it's a bit crazy.'
'Crazy' would certainly describe the levels of support experienced so far. Now it is on to Thailand and the Rajamangala National Stadium, where we will meet a local Premier League All Stars XI, once more live on Chelsea TV.
