Senegal’s World Cup Hero Dies At 42

By Ella Makondo

Senegal’s former international player, Papa Bouba Diop who made a total of 129 Premier League appearances has died at 42.

The midfielder scored the only goal for the Teranga Lions side against  world champions, France  in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup. The player who scored the goal that caused one of the biggest shocks in the history of the competition died after a long illness.

Senegal ultimately reached the quarter-final of the tournament, with Diop going on to score twice in the West Africans’ 3-3 group-stage draw with Uruguay before they were eventually eliminated by Turkey in the final eight.

Diop was the Lions’ top scorer at the tournament, and ended his international career with 63 caps, scoring 11 goals, having featured at four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments including 2002 when Senegal were defeated in the finals.

He spent the best part of a decade in English football following his arrival at Fulham from Racing Club de Lens in 2004, going on to represent Portsmouth, West Ham United and Birmingham City before retiring in 2013.

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