French club Sochaux-Montbéliard mourned their former player Kalilou Traoré on Sunday evening. The Mali midfielder died in a horrific traffic accident at the age of 38, a devastating loss for Malian and African football. He was one of the continent's most prominent stars, having claimed bronze at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Several French and Malian outlets reported that Traoré, who retired from football early at the age of 26 in 2014, died on Friday following the tragic crash. His former club then confirmed the news officially on Sunday.
A short but eventful career
Traoré wore the Sochaux-Montbéliard shirt between 2012 and 2014, making 11 appearances in Ligue 1 in the club's yellow and blue. He then chose to retire early, in circumstances that were never made public at the time.
The Malian midfielder moved between several European and African clubs during his career. He turned out for Morocco's Wydad Casablanca, Croatia's Istra and Denmark's Odense before ending his journey in France.
Africa's bronze champion
His finest hour came with the Mali national team at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. Traoré helped drive the Eagles of Mali to bronze, a historic achievement for the country's football.