Former Premier League and Ivory Coast defender Sol Bamba died at 39 years old on Friday.
Bamba, who served as the technical director for Turkish second-division team Adanaspor, fell ill shortly before the club’s match against Manisa FC.
Medical staff rushed him to Manisa Celal Bayar University Hospital, where he passed away.
Adanaspor confirmed his death in an official statement, saying, “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 began his football career at Paris Saint-Germain, graduating from their youth academy and making his senior debut in 2004.
He moved to England in 2011, joining Leicester City and later playing for Leeds United, Cardiff City, and Middlesbrough.
Bamba retired from professional football in 2022.
Internationally, he earned 46 caps for Ivory Coast, scoring once and helping the team to a runner-up finish in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.