Papa Bouba Diop died on Sunday, November 29, at the age of 42, after a long illness. The former Senegalese midfielder participated in the 2002 World Cup and finished top scorer for the “Lions” with three goals, including one against the French team, the reigning world champion.
He was one of the faces of this golden generation of Senegalese football, a finalist in the African Cup of Nations in 2002 and above all a quarterfinalist in the World Cup the same year. Papa Bouba Diop, who died on Sunday 29 November, is the one who led the France team from its pedestal as world champions during the world champions’ opening match in Japan and South Korea.
Senegal’s top scorer at the World Cup
The image remains engraved. Number 19 tackles the ball in Fabien Barthez’s goal before he dances around the corner with his teammates. Historic moment for Senegal: it is the first goal in the history of the “lions” in the World Cup and it allows the latest selection of CAN finalists to start their first World Cup perfectly. The rest is a fairy tale: Papa Bouba Diop will score two new goals against Uruguay (3-3) and will be one of the leaders of this team stopped in the quarterfinals by Turkey. He is still Senegal’s top scorer in the World Cup today (3 goals).
Born in Dakar, Papa Bouba Diop studied at ASC Jaraaf before flying to Europe at the age of 21. He took charge of Switzerland where he won a league title with Grasshopper Zurich in 2001, the year of his first choice with the “Lions” (he had a total of 63). He then joined France and RC Lens in January 2002, the start of the best year of his career. Because in addition to his achievements with Senegal, Papa Bouba Diop and his club finished in second place in the championship, also with qualification for the Champions League.
The Senegalese then continued his career in England where he won the National Cup with Portsmouth in 2008, after a debut at Fulham. If it is in the Queen’s country that “The Lion” ends his career in 2013, it is in France that he retires with his family, in Arras, not far from Lens. In the north he felt good there. That was where he died, far too young.
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