Sol Bamba, ex-Cardiff and Leicester City footballer, dies aged 39
His wife penned a moving tribute to the sport star.
Professional footballer and coach Sol Bamba has died aged 39.
Bamba, who previously overcame cancer in 2021, was taken in on Friday before being taken to hospital.
The sporting talent began his career in his home city of Paris, before relocating to the UK, where he played first for Scottish clubs Dunfermline Athletic and Hibernian, scoring four goals for the latter side between 2008 and 2011.
He then transferred to Championship club Leicester City, where he scored three times, before a period working overseas for Turkish club Trabzonspor and Italy's Palermo squad until 2015.
He also made 46 appearances for the Ivory Coast national team between 2008 and 2014, debuting at a 2008 friendly against Israel, before competing in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Malawi.
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His longest stint on a single team was five years playing for Cardiff City, a period in which he scored 10 goals across 112 appearances, with the club saying his impact was "immeasurable" in a statement shared yesterday.
It was towards the end of his time at Cardiff City that Bamba's health declined as was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2021, for which he underwent chemotherapy and initially made a full recovery.
He would go on to have a short stay at Middlesborough before transitioning to coaching roles at Cardiff and Turkish club Adanaspor, where he was still working as recently as last month.
Bamba's wife, Chloë, said via an Instagram statement that he had been courageously fighting cancer "for the last few years" with "an astounding mental and physical strength and stoicism".
She continued: "Unfortunately, it was never a fair fight and just when things were looking up he took a downturn and finally succumbed on 31st August.
"These years have been indescribably difficult but we still managed to find joy and laughter in it. I've experienced my worst days but also some of my best. Sol accepted his fate as God's will and left this earth knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was loved wholeheartedly. I made sure of that.
Chloe continued: "It was an honour to have loved and been loved by Sol. I learnt so much from him. He is my hero. My heart is breaking. What a gift, what a gift, what a gift to have been loved by him."
Several of Bamba's former clubs as well as major industry figures have shared tributes to the late player and coach. He is survived by his wife, Chloë, and their three children: Roonea, Lily and Amy.
