Sol Bamba

At 39 years old, Sol Bamba has this physical status:

Souleymane Bamba (born 13 January 1985) is a professional footballer who plays for Cardiff City and the Ivorian national team as a centre-back. Bamba began his career with Paris Saint-Germain, but the team's first team struggled to establish himself.

In his first season, he moved to Scotland to join Dunfermline Athletic in 2006, leading the team to the Scottish Cup finals.

He was transferring to Hibernian two years ago before joining Leicester City in January 2011.

Before joining Palermo, he was sold to Turkish club Trabzonspor for £750,000.

However, he was loaned to Leeds United after making only one appearance in six months.

He later joined Leeds on a permanent basis and was named club captain, spending another year with the club before being banned and then joining Cardiff City.

In his first full season with Cardiff, he helped the team win promotion to the Premier League. Born in France to Ivorian parents, Bamba played for Ivory Coast in the 2008 Olympic Games and was a fixture on the senior national team until his most recent cap in 2014.

In 2012, he was a member of the Africa Cup of Nations team that advanced to the final.

Personal life

When playing for Leicester, Bamba met Chloe. They have three children together. Jaxxson Shields, a son of a previous relationship with a Scottish woman, has also been involved. Bamba is multilingual, with the ability to speak English, French, Italian, Turkish, and "the Ivorian dialect that his father used at home." In 2021, he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and began receiving chemotherapy. He declared himself cancer-free four months later in May 2021.

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Club career

At the age of 11, Bamba began his career with Ligue 1 team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He had been spotted by team scouts playing street football in Paris but had initially turned down the club because his mother wished for him to become a doctor. In Ivry-sur-Seine, a suburb in central Paris, he and his parents Sehrata and Bakary Bamba lived. Since his family couldn't afford the travel to the club's training facilities outside of the city, he moved away from his family's house to enroll in the club's academy. He began playing as a defensive midfielder and transitioned to central defender at the age of 15, making him a back-up for a teammate who had been stuck in traffic.

Despite impressing for PSG's youth and B teams, he played in only two first team games in his last year at the club at the age of 21. Bamba wanted to be sent out on loan to gain experience, but Bamba refused to accept PSG's offer of a new deal and later left the team. After leaving the club, he said, "He's a good player but the team's tough guy – he can't listen and can get the team into disarray."

Bamba joined Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Premier League in July 2006 on a two-year deal after a first trial period. Jim Leishman later admitted that he had intended to bring another French player from prison to court, but the Bamba's agent instead sent him instead. During a preseason friendly against West Bromwich Albion striker John Hartson, Leishman was immediately impressed by Bamba's physique and his performance as a trialist. In Dunfermline's season-opening league match against Hearts, he made his professional debut for the club. After punching Steven Naismith in the chest during a 5–1 loss to Kilmarnock on December 2, 2006, Bamba was dismissed for the first time in his professional career.

Bamba was a member of the 2007 Scottish Cup Final in his first season with the club and lost by 1–0 to Celtic in the final. However, the club was also relegated from the Scottish Premier League following a seven-year tenure in the Scottish Premier League. At the start of the 2007–08 season, Bamba announced a two-year contract extension. Having not participated in any of Dunfermline's preseason games, the extension put an end to rumors that he wanted to leave the club in order to play at a higher level and advance his chances of breaking into the Ivory Coast national team.

In July 2008, Bamba was allowed to testify with Watford in the Championship, after being in a friendly against Boreham Wood. Bamba boss Jim McIntyre said he expected a fee between Dunfermline and Watford, which would allow Bamba to move to the Championship side. The agreement was considered to be almost complete, with Watford sending a doctor to China, where Bamba had flown with the Ivory Coast Olympic squad, to perform his medical. Watford, on the other hand, was forced to leave for unknown reasons. Bamba's transfer to either Hibernian or Motherwell was accepted by a few weeks later, keeping him in the Scottish Premier League.

Bamba left Hibernian after three-years with the club, opting for Hibernian. Dunfermline was fined 10% of any future transfer fee as part of the merger agreement. He was fired on his debut against Dundee United on a second bookable offence, but Bamba later joined the Hibs first team. Despite being a natural centre back, Bamba's success as a defensive midfielder was lauded by boss Mixu Paatelainen after a 2–0 win over Celtic in December 2008. Paatelainen added that after his time at Dunfermline, he felt the Bamba had improved as a player, with him no longer going to the ground when making a challenge and his appearance. Bamba quickly became a favorite in Hibs thanks to his tenacious and dedicated work in this new role.

Following Paatelainen's resignation, new boss John Hughes moved Bamba back to a central defensive role following Rob Jones' departure in the 2009 season. In a 3–1 victory over Falkirk on Sunday, Bamba scored his first ever professional goal, coming from a John Rankin corner in his second match in this region. He scored his second goal for the club on the same ground against the same team in another 3–1 victory on March 27. On May 8, 2010, the Edinburgh Evening News announced that Bamba's appearances had "not gone unnoticed." Sven-Göran Eriksson, the current head of the Ivorian national team, was also planning to watch Bamba in the 2010 World Cup, but he was unable to attend Hibs' last game played in the 2009–2010 season.

Since failing to register for a pre-season tour of the Netherlands in July 2010, Bamba angered manager John Hughes. Bamba responded angrily to the criticism by saying he needed a full three weeks off after returning from the World Cup and had attempted to contact both Hughes and Hibernian's chairman to discuss the situation, but Hughes dropped Bamba from the first team squad when he returned to Edinburgh. On his return to training with the club's youth team, Bamba was brought to school in Bamba's second leg of a UEFA Europa League match against NK Maribor at Easter Road, which Hibs lost 3–2 on the night and 6–2 on aggregate. Following the incident, manager Hughes expressed his inability for the situation to be forgotten. He made 80 appearances in all competitions during his time with Hibs, scoring four times.

With Bamba's deal with Hibs coming to an end in the 2010-11 season, the club decided on a transfer to Leicester City for his transfer. The contract was announced on January 2nd, 2011, with Bamba joining for an undisclosed fee midway through the season, but Hibs being expected to receive a share of any future transfer fee. He and his former Ivory Coast boss, Sven-Göran Eriksson, were reunited in Leicester. In the third round of the FA Cup, he made his debut for the club in a 2–2 draw against Manchester City on January 9, scoring with his first touch of the ball. In a 4–2 win over Millwall on January 22, he scored his first two league goals.

After rumors that linked him with several Premier League clubs, including Blackburn Rovers and French side Marseille during the 2011 summer transfer window, Bamba agreed to a new deal with Leicester in September 2011. Eriksson compared Bamba's style of play to that of former German international player Franz Beckenbauer during discussions. Steve Kean, the current Blackburn manager, had claimed that the two clubs had made a bid for Bamba and referred to the transaction as "quite close" to being complete.

Bamba played less often after Eriksson was replaced by Nigel Pearson as Leicester manager, particularly after January, when the club signed Wes Morgan and Bamba to compete in the African Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast. He appeared in 55 games for the club in total, scoring four goals in his 17 months with the club. Pearson later expressed regret for leaving the club, quoting Pearson's ability to assist them in winning promotion to the Premier League.

After being recommended to the club by his international teammate Didier Zokora, Bamba signed for Trabzonspor in June 2012 for a £750,000 fee. In a 2–0 victory over Elazigspor at home on August 26, 2012, he made his debut for the club on August 26, 2012 playing the full 90 minutes. During his first season with the club, he made 18 appearances, but he skipped a few games in December and January in particular because of his time away from Ivory Coast as they qualified for the 2013 African Cup of Nations.

In the first half of the season, Bamba made 15 appearances for Trabzonspor, including as a regular starter in their Europa League debut. On January 22, 2014, he sustained an ankle injury, effectively ending his service for the remainder of the season. Since suffering the injury, Bamba was not eligible to play for Tranzonspor again, but he recovered in time to play for Ivory Coast at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Bamba, a newly promoted Serie A club Palermo, agreed to a three-year contract on August 26, 2014 after being released by Trabzonspor. Palermo's debut occurred on September 24th, 2014, when he led Palermo to a 3-3 draw against Napoli. However, he made no further appearances for the club. "You're not far off," the manager said of Palermo's exit from the club, "keep doing what you're doing and you'll be playing."

Bamba was loaned to Leeds United in the rest of the season, with the possibility of making the transfer permanent at a later date. In a 2–1 West Yorkshire derby victory over Huddersfield Town a week later, he made his Leeds debut. Bamba was named captain for three games in place of Liam Cooper less than a month after joining the team. He was captain when Leeds defeated Middlesbrough 1–0, earning Bamba's appreciation for his service.

In a 3–0 away win over Leeds, Bamba scored his first goal against Fulham in a 3–0 away victory in March. Bamba expressed an interest in joining Leeds on a permanent basis after impressing during his time there. However, he was also outspoken against the club's founder, Massimo Cellino, who told "the person in charge" must do more for the sake of the team and the fans. Leeds arranged for a fixed fee in June with Bamba's Palermo. The contract was for two years with the option of a third year. Bamba's head coach, Uwe Rösler, said he was "a match-winner in both boxes" and that "he has the ability to lead by himself for the young team with whom he is working."

Bamba was appointed captain of Leeds by head coach Uwe Rösler, taking over from previous captain Liam Cooper in the offseason. In a 1–1 draw against Burnley in the league on the first day of the season, Bamba was named Man of the match award. In a 2–1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bamba scored a "stunning" long range volley. Bamba was also critical of Leeds owner Cellino at the end of the 2015–16 season, urging on 'promises to action'. When Cellino announced that the players were unaware if head coach Steve Evans would be retained for the following 2016-2017 season, they were told 'by text' when Cellino had made the decision.

Nevertheless, new head coach Garry Monk has confirmed that Bamba will continue as Leeds captain for the 2016-17 season. Bamba scored an own goal against Queens Park Rangers in a 3–0 loss in the first match of the season on August 7th and was subsequently dropped from the team, falling behind Kyle Bartley, Liam Cooper, and Pontus Jansson in the pecking order. Despite being Leeds' captain, Bamba was released by the club on September 1, 2016. Following the close of the transfer window the previous day, his employment was terminated by mutual consent. The decision was made after Monk informed him that he would no longer be the first choice at the club.

Following his release, Bamba began training with Derby County, who were managed by his former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson, but no one was given a contract. He then joined Neil Warnock in Cardiff City, earning him a two-year deal. Warnock had long been keen on signing Bamba at previous clubs and had contacted him a month before the transfer, but had to wait for Warnock's appointment at a new club to join him. He made his Severnside derby match against Bristol City on October 14th, scoring the winning goal as the Bluebirds defeated 2–1. Warnock, Cardiff's new manager, went on to state, "I wouldn't want anyone else." "I don't think there is anyone better." Following a scuffle with forward David McGoldrick, Bamba received his first red card in seven years against Ipswich Town in December. After being issued the red card, Bamba clashed with the fourth official before being physically bound by Warnock and leaving the field. His reaction resulted in a three-match suspension. Bamba sustained a groin injury against Barnsley in April, which ended his season early.

Bamba was called to the squad at the start of the 2017-18 season, assisting Cardiff in winning their three first games of the season for the first time in history. Following it up by crowning the winner over Queens Park Rangers the next day, he signed a new three-year deal on August 25, 2017. After finishing the season in second place, he continued to help the club win promotion to the Premier League. He was the first male to play in all 46 league games, and was selected in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

In Cardiff's first match of the 2018–19 season, he made his debut in the Premier League, losing 2–0 to AFC Bournemouth, before scoring his first goal in the top division in a 4–1 loss to Chelsea in September 2018. During the season, Bamba scored a further three goals, including victories against Brighton and Hove Albion and Southampton. He had only one match over the season, and he was barred from the remainder of the season after rupturing his cruciate knee ligaments in a loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers on March 5, 2019.

In July 2019, it was announced that Bamba will miss the 2019-20 season due to injury.

Since joining Middlesbrough on a one-year deal in 2021, Bamba was reunited with former boss Neil Warnock. In a 3-0 loss to Blackpool in the Carabao Cup on the first day, he made his first appearance for the club. On September 11, 2021, his first league appearance came in a 2-0 loss to Coventry City. On Sunday, Bamba received the Sky Bet Man of the Match award for his efforts in a 2-0 victory over his former club Cardiff City.

In Middlesbrough's FA Cup match against Manchester United on February 4, 2022, Bamba was subbed on in the 28th minute of extra time. He took and converted Middlesbrough's 5th spot kick as the game came to a conclusion, and the Boro advanced to the fifth round of the tournament for the first time since 2015. At the end of the 2021–22 season, Bamba was released by the club at the end of the 2021–22 season.

International career

Despite being born in France, Bamba represents his parents' country, the Ivory Coast. He appeared in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, the 2005 African Youth Championship, and the 2008 Toulon Tournament. Bamba was a member of the Ivory Coast team that advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2008 Olympic Games.

In a 2008 friendly match against Israel that took place on a full international level for Bamba, as a late replacement in a friendly against Turkey. Bamba won by 5–0 over Malawi in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier, but as a late replacement. This match was played in the aftermath of the Houphout-Boigny Arena stampede, which killed scores of Ivorian spectators. As they qualified for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Bamba became a regular in the national team. In a friendly against Rwanda as part of the team's preparations for the 2010 African Cup, Bamba scored his first goal for the team. He participated in all of the Ivory Coast's games at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, but the team lost by a quarter-final to Algeria after extra time. Kolo Touré and Bamba's "uneasy" central defensive alliance was cited as one of the reasons for their loss. However, the tournament had been played in the shadow of the Togo team bus shooting, but death threats against the Ivory Coast team were also present.

After the tournament, manager Vahid Halilhodi, who had worked with Bamba and gave him his first appearances at club and international level, was fired. Sven-Göran Eriksson, the upcoming Ivorian coach, selected Bamba in his provisional 30-man squad for the 2010 World Cup on May 11th. In Eriksson's first game as boss, he scored a 2–2 draw with Paraguay. Bamba was selected in the Ivory Coast's 23-man World Cup squad, but was forced to play with Kolo Touré in central defense.

In the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Bamba resumed his collaboration with Touré. During the whole tournament, the Ivory Coast did not lose a goal, but I was unable to advance to the final against Zambia due to a penalty shootout. Bamba was in central defense against Zokora in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, after Toure contracted malaria in the period before the tournament. In the first match, Bamba was booked, and Ivory Coast beat Japan 2–1. After losing 2–1 losses against Colombia and Greece, the Ivory Coast was disqualified at the group stage.

After being called up to the squad for the 10th of September 2014 match against Cameroon, Bamba was a surprise departure from the Ivory Coast squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Despite the fact that he hasn't retired from international football, he hasn't played for the team since 2014.

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