Sol Bamba’s wife has paid tribute to her husband and recalled the “amazing mental and physical strength” he showed in his “unjust fight” against cancer.
The former Cardiff City, Leeds, Leicester and Ivory Coast defender tragically passed away yesterday aged just 39.
Turkish side Adanaspor announced the news in a statement published on X which read: ‘Our technical director Souleymane Bamba, who fell ill before the Manisa Football Club match played yesterday, was taken to Manisa Celal Bayar University Hospital and unfortunately lost his battle for life there.
‘Our deepest condolences to his family and our community.’
And now the former footballer’s wife has released a heartbreaking statement detailing her battle with cancer.
Sol Bamba’s wife has paid tribute to her husband and recalled the ‘amazing mental and physical strength’ he demonstrated
Former Leeds, Cardiff and Middlesbrough defender dies aged 39
She wrote on Instagram: ‘Over the past few years I have watched Sol battle cancer with amazing mental and physical strength and stoicism.
‘Unfortunately, it was never a fair fight and just when things seemed to be looking up, he suffered a fall and finally succumbed on August 31.
‘These years have been indescribably difficult, but we have still managed to find joy and laughter in them. I have lived through my worst days, but also some of my best.
‘Sol accepted his fate as God’s will and left this earth knowing, without a doubt, that he was loved with all his heart. I made sure of that.
“It was an honor to have loved and been loved by Sol. I learned a lot from him. He is my hero.”
“My heart breaks. What a gift, what a gift, what a gift to have been loved by him.”
The post was accompanied by a photo of Bamba on vacation and another of the couple together.
The footballer had previously been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare form of cancer, on Christmas Eve 2020 but was believed to be doing well.
The Instagram post was accompanied by a photo of Bamba on vacation.
However, Turkish outlet Hurriyet reported that he “fell ill before the match against Manisa FK due to a relapse of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”
The former defender was a popular figure in English football having played for Leicester City, Leeds, Cardiff City and Middlesbrough.
Since retiring in 2022, Bamba has moved into coaching, becoming assistant coach at his former club Cardiff before joining Turkish side Adanaspor.
The 39-year-old had worked as the club’s technical director from the summer until his untimely death.
Bamba met his wife Chloe while playing for Leicester in 2011 and the couple soon tied the knot.
They have three children named Roonea, Lily and Amy.
The football manager posted an emotional message celebrating Chloe’s birthday earlier this year, saying: “Happy birthday my love. The last two years haven’t been easy but having you by my side made it so much easier. I love you.”
‘Enjoy your day, you deserve it.’
Many of Bamba’s former clubs have already posted tributes to the French-born centre-back.
Cardiff City, with whom he spent the majority of his playing career, posted a heartfelt statement on X which read: ‘It is with the deepest sadness that we learn this afternoon of the passing of club legend Sol Bamba.
‘As a player and a coach, Sol’s impact on our football club was immeasurable. He was a hero to us all, a leader in every dressing room and a true gentleman.
“Our thoughts are with her friends, family and all those who were fortunate enough to know and love Sol.”
Cardiff City posted a tribute which read: “As a player and manager, Sol’s impact on our football club was immeasurable.”
Bamba captained Leeds United during his time at the club in 2016.
Many of Bamba’s former clubs have paid tribute to the 39-year-old, one of them being Leeds, where he captained the team.
Leeds wrote on X: ‘Everyone at #LUFC is devastated to hear the news of the passing of former #LUFC captain Sol Bamba.
‘Our thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends at this tragic time. Rest in peace Sol, you will be forever in our hearts.
Middlesbrough also paid tribute to their former player on X writing: ‘We are devastated to hear of the passing of Sol Bamba at the age of 39.
“Our thoughts are with Sol’s family and friends at this time. Rest in peace Sol.” “Our thoughts are with Sol’s family and friends at this time. Rest in peace Sol.”
Meanwhile, fellow countrymen Galatasaray paid their respects by posting a tribute which read: ‘We have learned with sadness that Adanaspor manager Sol Bamba has passed away.
‘We offer our condolences to Sol Bamba’s family, his loved ones and the Adanaspor community.’
Bamba grew up in Paris and it was there that his love for the game blossomed, beginning his career in the youth ranks of Paris Saint-Germain before making the jump and deciding to move to Scotland, where he played for Dunfermline and then Hibernian.
In 2011 he began his romance with English football when he signed for Leicester City, where he played under Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Bamba paid tribute to his former manager following his death at the age of 76 earlier this week.
He wrote on X: “I am deeply devastated by the news of Sven’s passing today. Not only was he an exquisite person, but he was also the best coach I have ever had, inspiring my path as a player but also as a coach.
“My condolences to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace, Sven.”
The two share a good relationship, having previously worked together with the Ivory Coast national team, where the Swedish coach also coached Bamba.
He then left England and played for Trabzonspor and Palermo before returning in 2015 to play for Leeds.
His time as Leeds captain was cut short when he moved to Cardiff City in 2016, where he made 118 appearances for the club.
It was during his time in Wales that Bamba was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare form of cancer.
The centre-back spent four months battling the aggressive cancer by undergoing chemotherapy.
“After the first chemotherapy I was out of action for four days,” he told Mail Sport in 2022.
‘I couldn’t get out of bed. I lost weight. After that, I told my wife, ‘I’m not going to participate in the second round.’ The way I felt at that moment was horrible.
Bamba moved to Cardiff City in 2016 from Leeds, where he made 118 appearances for the club.
Since retiring in 2022, Bamba has returned to Cardiff taking on the role of assistant coach for his former club.
Bamba made a triumphant return in the final game of the 2020-21 season and then signed for Middlesbrough ahead of the 2021-22 season.
He went on to make 28 appearances and even scored the winning penalty in the FA Cup fourth round clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Speaking about the experience, he said: “When I was having chemotherapy, I never thought for a minute that I would play again. And I never thought about scoring penalties at Old Trafford. Nights like that seemed a million miles away.”