Former Ivory Coast Defender Sol Bamba Passes Away at 39

Sol Bamba, a former Ivory Coast international defender who famously overcame cancer to continue his football career, has passed away at the age of 39, as announced by his former clubs on Saturday.

“Leeds United are deeply saddened by the news of our former captain Sol Bamba’s passing at the age of 39,” read a statement from the English club.

Bamba was part of the coaching staff at Turkish club Adanaspor when he fell ill on Friday.

“Our technical director, Souleymane Bamba, became ill before the match against Manisa Football Club yesterday. He was taken to Manisa Celal Bayar University Hospital, where, unfortunately, he lost his battle for life,” Adanaspor announced on social media. “We extend our condolences to his family and our community.”

Bamba had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2021 while playing for Cardiff City. After undergoing chemotherapy, he was declared cancer-free and returned to the pitch for Cardiff and later Middlesbrough.

Born in France, Bamba began his career with Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Scotland, where he played for Dunfermline, helping the team reach the Scottish Cup final, before transferring to Hibernian and then Leicester City in 2011.

Bamba also had stints in Turkey and Italy before joining Leeds United, where he served as club captain. In his first full season at Cardiff, he played a key role in their promotion to the Premier League and went on to make over 100 appearances for the club.

Cardiff City expressed their sorrow on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating, “We are profoundly saddened to learn this evening of the passing of club legend, Sol Bamba. As both a player and a coach, Sol had an immense impact on our football club. He was a hero to all of us, a leader in every dressing room, and a true gentleman. Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and everyone who knew and loved Sol.”

Bamba represented Ivory Coast at the 2008 Olympics and participated in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, earning a total of 46 international caps during his career.