Sol Bamba, the former defender for Paris Saint-Germain, Leicester City, Leeds United, Middlesbrough, and the Ivory Coast national team, has passed away after a battle with illness, as announced by the press service of Turkish First League club Adanaspor.
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.
Adanaspor statement
In January 2021, Bamba was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The former footballer underwent a course of chemotherapy and later reported that he had managed to overcome the illness. Bamba, who had been managing Adanaspor since July 2024, was just 39 years old. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Having concluded his playing career in 2022, Bamba earned 46 caps for the Ivory Coast national team, scoring one goal during his international tenure.