Former President of Olympique de Marseille, Pape Diouf dies of Coronavirus

Pape Diouf, Club President of Olympique de Marseille between 2005 and 2009 dies on Tuesday, 31st March 2020 after contracting this global pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19). Senegal has recorded 190 COVID-19 related cases with 45 of these recovered.

Pape Diouf was the football agent of Marcel Desailly, Basile Boli, Williams Gallas, Samir Nasir and Didier Drogba. Marseille wrote under a photo of Diouf “Pape will forever remain in the hearts of Marseille people and (is) one of the great architects of the club.”

The President of Senegal, Macky Sall wrote on his official Twitter account that he had followed Diouf’s health closely when he was admitted for treatment. “I pay tribute to the presentnice figure in sport,” Sall wrote. “I pay tribute to the medical workers at Fann Hospital who spared no effort to avoid wasting him.” Relatives disclosesed that Diouf was due to be travel to Nice, France but was too ill to travel. He had recently traveled to many countries within the geographic area region.

In the statement of the Health Minister of Senegal, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, He said that Pape Diuof was given intensive treatment since Saturday in Dakar hospital. This is the first recorded COVID-19 (Coronavirus) death related case.`

Before his tenure at Marseille club, he signed Didier Deschamps in 2009 as the Club’s manager. And under Deschamps management the club won their the 2009-10 Ligue 1 which was the first time in 18 years that they had won the league title.

The two Ghanaian football stars popularly known as the Ayew Brothers have shared their tribute on twitter after his death.

Mathieu Valbuena, a French professional footballer, who played for Marseille eight years also shared his tribute on twitter.

“A great man with a great heart,” Valbuena said. “We were hypnotized by his speeches, he had a lot of charisma.” Diouf was awarded the French Legion of Honor medal in 2012, one of the country’s highest honors.