Bamba with Ivory Coast in 2012
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Souleymane Bamba | ||
Date of birth | 13 January 1985 | ||
Place of birth | Ivry-sur-Seine, France | ||
Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
Playing position | Centre-back | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
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Cardiff City | ||
Number | 14 | ||
Youth career | |||
1999–2004 | Paris Saint-Germain | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2004–2006 | Paris Saint-Germain | 1 | (0) |
2006–2008 | Dunfermline Athletic | 39 | (0) |
2008–2011 | Hibernian | 75 | (4) |
2011–2012 | Leicester City | 52 | (3) |
2012–2014 | Trabzonspor | 27 | (0) |
2014–2015 | Palermo | 1 | (0) |
2015 | → Leeds United (loan) | 19 | (1) |
2015–2016 | Leeds United | 32 | (4) |
2016– | Cardiff City | 26 | (2) |
National team‡ | |||
2003–2005 | Ivory Coast U20 | ||
2008 | Ivory Coast U23 | 2 | (0) |
2008– | Ivory Coast | 44 | (2) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:48, 4 April 2017 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 June 2014 |
Souleymane "Sol" Bamba (born 13 January 1985) is a professional footballer who plays for Championship side Cardiff City, and for the Ivory Coast national team, as a centre-back.
Bamba started his career in his native France with Paris Saint-Germain, but failed to establish himself in their first team and moved to Scotland to join Dunfermline Athletic in 2006. Two years later he was transferred to Hibernian, before joining Leicester City in January 2011. Bamba moved to Turkish club Trabzonspor in 2012.
Born in France to Ivorian parents, Bamba represented Ivory Coast in the 2008 Olympic Games and has since become a regular for the full national side.
Bamba began his career with Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain at the age of 14. Despite impressing for PSG's youth and B teams, he only appeared in two first team games, in his final year at the club. A dispute with the PSG manager, Vahid Halilhodžić, caused Bamba to leave the club.
After an initial trial period, Bamba signed for Scottish Premier League side Dunfermline Athletic in July 2006.Jim Leishman later revealed that he had been intending to bring over another player from France on trial, but this deal fell through and Bamba's agent sent him instead. Leishman was immediately impressed by Bamba's physique and his performance as a trialist against John Hartson. During his short trial, Bamba also came on as a substitute in a friendly match against La Liga side Osasuna; he impressed by making several tackles and blocks.