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Papa Bouba Diop playing for Senegal
Former Senegalese international Papa Bouba Diop passed away after a long illness at the age of 42.
Diop was part of the Teranga Lions team that upset France 1-0 in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup, scoring the only goal of the game to secure one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history.
Senegal eventually made it to the quarter-finals of the tournament, with Diop scoring two goals in the West Africans’ 3-3 group stage draw with Uruguay before they were finally eliminated by Turkey in the round of 16.
He was the Lions’ top scorer in the tournament and would finish his international career with 63 caps, scoring 11 goals and having participated in four African Cup of Nations tournaments, including when Senegal was defeated as a finalist in 2002.
The midfielder spent the better part of a decade in English football following his arrival at Fulham from Racing Club Lens in 2004, and went on to represent Portsmouth, West Ham United and Birmingham City before retiring in 2013. He made a total of 129 Premier League appearances.
He was a member of Harry Redknapp’s FA Cup-winning Pompey team that defeated Cardiff City 1-0 in the 2008 final, being introduced late by Pedro Mendes in a match resolved by Nwankwo Kanu’s goal in the 37th minute.
Diop, a graduate of ASC Diaraf, was a Swiss champion during his initial career with Grasshoppers, having broken into the professional game with Neuchatel Xamax, and later became part of Lens, where he was runner-up in Ligue 1 in 2002.
After leaving Portsmouth, he won the Greek Cup during a brief stint at AEK Athens.
Diop, who stood 6’5 “, was dubbed ‘The Wardrobe’ during his career due to his height, aerial dominance and commanding presence in midfield, and was once named by former Manchester United and England star Paul Scholes as one. of his most cheating opponents.
Fulham tweeted Sunday night: “We are devastated to hear the news tonight that Papa Bouba Diop passed away, aged 42. Rest well, closet.”
He originally appeared as a forward during his time in Switzerland, but became a midfielder later in his career and even appeared in the heart of defense at times.
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