In the first game of the Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup, Senegal dazed colonial masters, France and registered their name in history as one of Africa’s greatest teams. The man who scored the lone goal that condemned the French to defeat was Papa Bouba Diop, who died on Sunday.
Diop, who played for Portsmouth, West Ham and Fulham in the Premier League and RC Lens in the Ligue 1 was a key member of the Senegal team that made it to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.
World football governing body, FIFA announced the former Teranga Lion’s death on Sunday via a tweet.
Diop joined Portsmouth in 2007 and won the FA Cup one year later in a team that was managed by Harry Redknapp.
He thereafter had stints with Greek club AEK Athens and Birmingham City in the Championship.
Diop’s former clubs, Fulham and Portsmouth have expressed their devastation about the news.
Recall that the world was thrown into mourning last week when global football legend and World Cup hero, Diego Armando Maradona died at the age of 60.