Everyone at MFC was devastated to learn of the passing of our former player Sol Bamba
It's reported that Sol fell ill before a game in Turkey, where he was the technical director at Adanspor, and has passed away at the age of 39.
A club statement from Adanspor read: "Our technical director Souleymane Bamba, who fell ill before the match against Manisa Football Club yesterday, was taken to Manisa Celal Bayar University Hospital and unfortunately lost his battle for life there.
"Our condolences to his family and our community."
Sol, who made almost 500 appearances during an 18-year career that started with Paris Saint-Germain and featured nine clubs, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2021 while at Cardiff, but was declared cancer-free after a course of chemotherapy and returned to play again for the Bluebirds before joining Boro.
Sol's former manager and long-time friend Neil Warnock invited him to train with Boro after his departure from Cardiff, and he was immediately a popular figure around the club.
A gentleman who always wore a smile on his face signed a one-year contract in August 2021 and went on to make 29 appearances, turning in a string of performances which belied his years.
He came on for the final minute of extra time during our FA Cup win at Manchester United in January 2022, and stepped up to convert from the spot as we won through on penalties.
An Ivory Coast international, the final appearance of Sol's career came during our 3-1 win against Stoke in May 2022 when he stepped off the bench for the final moments.
Sol leaves behind wife Chloe and children Roonea, Lily, and Amy. Our thoughts are with Sol's family and friends at this time.
RIP Sol