The late Papa Bouba Diop’s goal sunk France in one of the biggest shocks in FIFA World Cup history in 2002. He celebrated it in equally iconic fashion.
Some celebrations live long in the memory because of the goal itself, the player or simply a sprinkle of outstanding originality. Papa Bouba Diop’s winner for Senegal against France at the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ uniquely combined all three.
On 31 May 2002, holders and favourites France took on a Senegal side making their first foray into FIFA World Cup™ territory. The Seoul World Cup Stadium, which played host to the opening ceremony and the first match of the tournament, braced itself for Les Bleus to turn on the style, but instead they bore witness to one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.
Shorn of the cohesion and team spirit that had underpinned their success four years earlier, France struggled to get going in Seoul. An unfazed Senegal side would not let the opportunity pass them by and were more than able to hold their own, much to the amazement of the watching world. It was Diop who sparked joyous scenes when he bundled home from El Hadji Diouf’s low cross on the half-hour mark.
After taking off his No19 jersey, the RC Lens player, who was nicknamed ‘the Wardrobe’ for his towering 1.95m frame, beckoned his team-mates over to the corner flag, where he laid his shirt on the ground and began dancing around it to rapturous applause throughout a stadium that was equally captivated by the underdogs’ goal as by the never-before-seen celebration.
“In 1998, four years earlier, we were all sat in front of the TV,” Diop revealed 16 years later in an interview with So Foot magazine. “In Senegal, we supported France. When they won the World Cup, we were out celebrating in the streets. To score against the same team four years later… It was a moment that left a mark on the rest of my life, my children and my family. It’s something that nobody in Senegal will ever forget.”
Senegal’s enthralling journey didn’t end there either as the late Bruno Metsu’s players served up a series of shocks in Korea Republic and Japan en route to the quarter-finals, where they succumbed to a 1-0 golden-goal defeat at the hands of fellow surprise packages Türkiye.
Part of what has made Diop’s celebration so renowned is undoubtedly the tragic fate that befell him in November 2020, when he sadly passed away at the age of 42. Among the countless tributes that poured in from across the football world was the heartfelt display by Senegal at Qatar 2022. Just moments after racking up a 2-1 victory over Ecuador to seal a place in the Round of 16 for the first time in 20 years, the focus immediately turned to an unforgettable hero.
“It’s a special day for all of us, for all Senegalese people, and we wanted to do something special for him, too,” said captain Kalidou Koulibaly. “He was a defining part of our childhood and Senegalese football as a whole. When he passed away, it was a huge loss for us all. Today was really for him. Our hearts were set on doing well.”
The No19 shirt, made famous by Diop’s celebration, has continued to be a good luck charm in the years since. M’Baye Niang netted at Russia 2018 in a 2-1 win over Poland while wearing the number, and Famara Diedhiou did the same four years later in a 3-1 success against hosts Qatar to continue the trend.
Meanwhile, Diop’s legendary celebration has inspired imitation. At the Africa Cup of Nations 2021, Bamba Dieng did similar after scoring a goal on the counter-attack to seal a 2-0 victory over Cabo Verde in the Round of 16, as Senegal went on to win their maiden continental title.
There is Senegalese proverb that says, “A true lion never dies”, and evidently neither do his celebrations.
