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Former Senegal and Premier League midfielder Papa Bouba Diop died at the age of 42, according to reports.
Diop, who came to England in 2004 when he joined Fulham from Lens and went on to play for Portsmouth and briefly West Ham and Birmingham, had been suffering from a prolonged illness, reportedly in his homeland.
Fulham tweeted early Sunday night: “We are devastated to hear the news reports tonight that Papa Bouba Diop passed away, aged 42. Rest well, closet.”
Portsmouth posted: “We are devastated to hear reports that FA Cup winner Papa Bouba Diop passed away after a long illness, aged just 42. Rest in peace, The Wardrobe.”
Lens tweeted: “It is with great sadness that Racing Club de Lens has just learned of the passing of its former player Papa Bouba #Diop, at the age of 42. We extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones.”
The 1.85m player, nicknamed ‘The Closet’, scored the first goal in the 2002 World Cup final when Senegal defeated France 1-0.
FIFA said on its World Cup Twitter account: “FIFA is saddened to learn of the passing of Senegal legend Papa Bouba Diop. Once a World Cup hero, always a World Cup hero. ”
He made more than 80 appearances in all competitions for Fulham, scoring nine goals, and in 2007 he moved to Pompey, for whom he participated more than 50 times.
Diop, whose former clubs also included Swiss Neuchatel Xamax and Grasshoppers and Greek AEK Athens, won 63 games for his country, scoring 11 goals.
He was a key member of the Portsmouth FA Cup winning team in 2008 and Harry Redknapp, who led that team, told Sky Sports News: “Absolutely fantastic character, I never heard a bad word from anyone out of his mouth.
“Everyone just loved him. It seemed like I was signing him in Portsmouth and then I lost him, he ended up going to Fulham. I went to see him in Fulham a couple of times and he was such a good, strong and powerful player and he could pass, and he played for that Senegal team that beat France in the World Cup.
“Then finally I took him to Portsmouth and he was very influential in what we accomplished. He was a first-rate player and a first-rate person, always smiling, always laughing. It was lovely to have him around and I am really upset to hear this news. He really was a special character. “Senegal Football Federation President Augustin Senghor tweeted:” Thanks to him and the promotion of 2002, the whole world discovered Senegal. ”
Senegalese President Macky Sall also paid tribute on Twitter, saying: “The death of Pape Bouba Diop is a great loss for Senegal.
“I pay tribute to a good footballer, respected by all for his courtesy and talent, proudly reminding us of the 2002 Lions saga. I offer my deepest condolences to his family and the world of football.”
Current Senegal international and Liverpool star Sadio Mane wrote on Instagram: “Pape Bouba, with a broken heart we found out about your (death). Know that he will remain forever in our hearts, even if he left without saying goodbye to us. “
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