It was sadly confirmed in the early hours of Sunday morning that former Leicester City defender Sol Bamba had passed away at the age of 39.
Former Leicester City defender Sol Bamba has sadly died at the age of 39.
Bamba had recently been working as a coach at Turkish club Adanaspor, who confirmed the news late Saturday night.
A statement said: “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.”
Bamba recovered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma after undergoing chemotherapy treatment in 2021 – returning to the pitch just five months later while at Cardiff City.
The defender, who played 46 times for Ivory Coast, represented a host of clubs in England and Scotland, with the Foxes being one of them.
Leicester also posted a tribute message to Bamba, saying: “We are all devastated to hear that our former defender, Sol Bamba, has passed away, aged 39.
“Sol, a popular figure during his brief but memorable stay in Leicester, made 55 appearances for the Foxes, scoring four goals.
“Our thoughts are with Sol’s friends and family at this sad time.”
Sol Bamba’s Leicester City career
Joining in January 2011 as one of Sven Goran-Eriksson’s first signings at the club, Bamba made an immediate impact by scoring with his first touch of the ball in a Leicester shirt against Manchester City in the FA Cup.
He’d go on to make 55 appearances for the Foxes, scoring four goals before leaving after 17 months at the club, joining Turkish outfit Trabzonspor.
He once admitted that he wished he had stayed at the King Power Stadium for longer, citing his belief in Nigel Pearson’s goal to bring the club back to the Premier League.
Andy King posts emotional message to Sol Bamba
Tributes have poured in from all corners of the footballing globe including one from Leicester legend and former teammate of Bamba’s, Andy King.
Posting to Instagram, King described the 39-year-old as the “most positive guy you could ever play with”.
He continued: “Always happy, always with a smile but a born winner. It was a pleasure to play with and against him and share the start of our coaching journeys together.
“If this last few weeks has taught us anything, it’s to enjoy every moment, take every opportunity and enjoy everything we have to the maximum as we never know what’s around the corner. RIP Sol, it was a pleasure.”
Sol Bamba’s battle with illness
While playing for Championship side Cardiff City in 2021, Bamba was formally diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
He underwent chemotherapy treatment and just five months later was told that he was cancer free, eventually returning to play for Cardiff before a brief spell at Middlesbrough.
His wife, Chloe, alluded to his ongoing battle in an Instagram post.
She said: “For the last few years I have watched Sol fight his cancer head on with an astounding mental and physical strength and stoicism.
“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.”