DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Hundreds of soccer fans have attended the funeral of Jule Francois Bocande at the national cathedral in Dakar to pay tribute to the Senegal great, who died in France last week at 53.
Bocande was one of the first Senegalese to play in Europe when he joined French club Metz, becoming the top scorer in the French league in the 1985-86 season with 23 goals.
His brother-in-law Moustapha Dabo says Bocande’s death on May 7 after an operation has left Senegal in shock. He calls Bocande “a man of principle and of passion” who “gave another dimension to Senegalese football.” The attendance reminds him of a local proverb: “If someone achieves great things, you must do your best to thank him.”
