Former Ivory Coast international footballer Sol Bamba has passed away at the age of 39, shocking the football world. Bamba, who was serving as the head coach of Turkish second-division club Adanaspor, fell ill before a match against Manisa Football Club on Friday and was rushed to Manisa Celal Bayar University Hospital, where he tragically lost his battle for life.Bamba had a distinguished career playing for various clubs including Cardiff City, Leeds United, and Middlesbrough in England, as well as stints with Paris Saint-Germain, Palermo, and Trabzonspor. He represented the Ivory Coast national team 46 times, featuring in the 2008 Olympics and the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.In 2021, while playing for Cardiff City, Bamba was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After undergoing chemotherapy, he was declared cancer-free and remarkably returned to professional football before retiring in 2022. His resilience and positive attitude during this challenging time earned him widespread admiration in the football community.Tributes have poured in from his former clubs and teammates. Cardiff City, where Bamba made over 100 appearances and helped secure promotion to the Premier League in 2018, described him as a ‘club legend’ whose impact was ‘immeasurable’. Leeds United stated, ‘We are devastated to learn of the passing of our former captain Sol Bamba at the age of 39.’ Bamba’s wife, Chloe, released an emotional statement saying, ‘Sol accepted his fate as God’s will and left this earth knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was loved wholeheartedly.’ The Turkish Football Federation has announced that a minute’s silence will be observed before all professional matches this week in memory of Bamba, underlining the impact he had made in his short time in Turkish football.Sol Bamba will be remembered not only for his footballing abilities but also for his leadership, resilience, and the positive impact he had on those around him both on and off the field.
Key points
- Sol Bamba, former Ivory Coast international and coach of Adanaspor, passed away at 39 after falling ill before a match.
- Bamba had overcome non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2021 and returned to professional football before retiring in 2022.
- He had a successful career with clubs like Cardiff City and Leeds United, and represented Ivory Coast 46 times.
- Tributes have poured in from former clubs and teammates, highlighting Bamba’s impact both on and off the field.
Contradictions👾There is a slight discrepancy in the reported number of Bamba’s international appearances for Ivory Coast, with some sources citing 46 caps and others mentioning 51 caps.
