SAN FRANCISCO, November 29, (THEWILL) –Â Senegalese Papa Bouba Diop, who starred for Fulham, Portsmouth and West Ham as a midfielder has died at the age of 42, according to reports monitored by THEWILL in Senegal. He had been suffering a protracted illness.
Part of Senegal’s contingent who made Africa proud when they reached the quarter-finals of the South Korea-Japan World Cup, Bouba Diop scored the first goal of the tournament that helped the West African country beat defending champions France 1-0 in one of the greatest shocks of World Cup history.
He was capped 63 times and scored 11 goals for his country while featuring in seven seasons in the English Premier League. In 2008, Bouba Diop won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in a final were Nigeria’s Kanu Nwankwo scored the only goal against Cardiff.
Bouba Diop’s career began in 1996 at the Senegalese club ASC Diaraf. He had spells in Switzerland with Vevey, Neuchatel Xamax and Grasshoppers. Leaving the Swiss League, he went to France where he played for Lens in 2002 before entering the EPL in Fulham’s colours in 2004.
The Senegalese had his most successful span of football at Pompey. After that followed a stint at AEK Athens in Greece before returning to England and featuring for West Ham and Birmingham City.
After such a storied active football like, the talented West African called time on football, hanging his boots in 2013. He was affectionately known as “the wardrobe” by supporters.
At 6ft 5″ tall, Bouba Diop was renowned for his immense stature in the heart of midfield and gained popularity in England for his long-range strikes.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
