Portsmouth made FA Cup history in 2008 after beating Cardiff City in the final to become one of the most unlikely sides to win the prestigious English trophy in recent history, yet two years later, they were unable to repeat the accomplishment against Chelsea.
The Blues managed what Cardiff couldn’t and claimed a 1-0 win at Wembley Stadium, submitting Portsmouth to FA Cup heartbreak as the Premier League powerhouses brought unwanted normality back to the competition.
Indeed, whilst Portsmouth were unable to beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final, the XI that once again made it to Wembley have asserted themselves in Pompey folklore, and HITC Sport takes a look back at the side that contested against the west London side for one of English football’s biggest prizes.
GK – David James
The only member from both the 2008 and 2010 sides to start both finals, David James was key in guiding Portsmouth to both matches at Wembley, where the former England keeper was at the top of his game.
Although the Premier League icon was unable to stop Didier Drogba’s 59th-minute winner, James will always be remembered fondly by Portsmouth fans for his role in making history with the South Coast side.
RB – Steve Finnan
Steve Finnan played just one season for Portsmouth, yet it was fitting that the former Republic of Ireland international’s last ever game for the club and his career as a whole came in the FA Cup final.
A regular throughout Pompey’s doomed Premier League season and the FA Cup run, Finnan called time on his career after Portsmouth failed to offer the right-back a new contract as the club were relegated to the Championship after going into administration.
CB – Ricardo Rocha
Another player who made Portsmouth their last stop in their career, Ricardo Rocha’s time on the South Coast couldn’t have started any worse, with the Portuguese defender starting in a 5-0 loss to Manchester United before being sent off in both of his first two games.
Despite that terrible start, Rocha stayed with Portsmouth beyond the FA Cup final and the club’s back-to-back relegations, with the six-time Portugal international playing his last ever season in League One with Pompey.
CB – Aaron Mokena
Scorer of a 121st-minute winner in the third round of the FA Cup against Coventry City, Aaron Mokena played a huge role for Portsmouth in their run to a second final in three years.
South Africa’s most-capped player and captain of the Bafana Bafana in the 2010 World Cup, Mokena holds a special place in African football folklore despite his shortcomings at Portsmouth, where the defender spent just two seasons before returning to his homeland.
LB – Hayden Mullins
Naturally a defensive midfielder, Hayden Mullins started at left-back for Portsmouth in their Wembley clash against Chelsea. Like numerous players in this XI, the now-43-year-old coach remained at Fratton Park the following season in the Championship.
Since calling time on his career, the former Portsmouth star has coached at the likes of Watford and Colchester United, with the League Two side being Mullins’ last full-time managerial role in England before being sacked in May 2021.
RM – Aruna Dindane
One of the Ivory Coast’s most capped players, Aruna Dindane spent just one season on loan at Portsmouth, with the South Coast side notoriously dropping the winger one game before the club was obligated to pay a transfer fee to RC Lens to sign the former Anderlecht star.
Despite Pompey’s unwillingness to sign Dindane, the Ivorian did feature in the FA Cup semi-final win against Tottenham, with the attacker then starting the final against Chelsea in what would be his last game for Portsmouth, where he eventually moved to Qatar.
CM – Michael Brown
A key player in Portsmouth’s win against Tottenham in the semi-final, Michael Brown was unable to help Avram Grant’s side to another shock win at Wembley against Chelsea but the midfielder did remain at the club for one more year.
Spells at Leeds United and Port Vale followed for the former England U21 international, with Brown stepping into coaching in 2016 with the Valiants before turning to punditry for the likes of Sky Sports and Quest TV for their EFL coverage.
CM – Papa Bouba Diop/Nwankwo Kanu
Papa Bouba Diop started the final for Portsmouth before making way for Pompey icon and Arsenal legend Nwankwo Kanu in the second half, with the Nigerian star famously scoring the winning goal for Harry Redknapp’s side in the 2008 final.
The pair both featured heavily for Portsmouth in their run to Wembley and it was a shame neither had the dream ending with Pompey against Chelsea as the Blues ran out comfortable victors in the English capital.
LM – Kevin-Prince Boateng
To say this era for Portsmouth was wild would be an understatement, and Kevin-Prince Boateng’s mere presence in the squad showed just how ambitious Pompey were at the time, as much as signings like this caused the club’s eventual downfall.
‘The Prince’ was at the centre of everything during the 2010 final, putting in a strong challenge that saw Germany international Michael Ballack hobble off before missing a penalty that would have put Pompey into a shock lead.
While the Ghanaian international spent just one year in Portsmouth, Boateng has gone on to have an interesting career, becoming a star at AC Milan and playing for the likes of Barcelona, Eintracht Frankfurt and Fiorentina, with the 35-year-old currently at Hertha Berlin.
ST – Jamie O’Hara
Another loanee for Grant’s side, Jamie O’Hara started in a second striker role for Portsmouth against Chelsea, with the former attacker playing a big part in getting Pompey to the final.
The now-TalkSport pundit bagged the fourth and final goal in Portsmouth’s historic 4-1 win at Southampton in the fifth round although, just like his strike partner, O’Hara was unable to do much against Chelsea’s sturdy defence at Wembley.
ST – Frederic Piquionne
Arguably Portsmouth’s most important player in the entire FA Cup run, Frederic Piquionne scored three huge goals for Pompey on their route to the final, with the French striker bagging a brace against Birmingham City and scoring the opener against Tottenham.
Despite a hot streak ahead of the final, the French attacker was unable to find the back of the net against Chelsea.
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