Ex-Cote d’Ivoire Star Defender Bamba Dies

Former Elephant of Côte d’Ivoire defender Sol Bamba has died at the age of 39.

Bamba had been employed at Turkish club Adanaspor, who announced the news late on Saturday night.

“Our technical director Souleymane Bamba, who fell ill before the match against Manisa Football Club yesterday, was taken to Manisa Celal Bayar University Hospital and unfortunately lost his battle for life there. Our condolences to his family and our community,” the club statement read.

Bamba was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2021 while at Cardiff, but was declared cancer-free after a course of chemotherapy and returned to play again for the Bluebirds and Middlesbrough.

He also featured for Leicester, Hibernian and Dunfermline, in addition to 46 international appearances for the Ivory Coast.

Bamba, who was born in France to Ivorian parents, began his playing career at Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Scotland after failing to establish himself in the first team.

He helped Dunfermline reach the Scottish Cup final in his first season, before moving to Hibs and then Leicester in 2011.

Following spells in Turkey and Italy he joined Leeds, where he was club captain, while in his first full season at Cardiff he helped them clinch promotion to the Premier League.

He played more than 100 times for the Bluebirds and was assistant manager for six months in 2023.

Bamba represented Côte d’Ivoire at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and played in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and made his final international appearance two years later.