Ibrahima Konate Announces Heartbreaking Death of Father Hamady
- Tragedy has struck the Konate family following the passing of Ibrahima Konate’s father, Hamady
- The Liverpool defender shared a deeply moving tribute on Instagram, honouring the man who shaped his life on and off the pitch
- Messages of support have poured in from fans, teammates and the wider football world as they remember Hamady’s lasting influence
Ibrahima Konaté has confirmed the heartbreaking news that his father, Hamady, has passed away.
The Liverpool defender was absent from Wednesday night’s Champions League victory over Marseille, with the club initially confirming he had remained in France to attend to a family matter.
Source: Getty Images
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Konate confirms death of his father
Konaté has since disclosed that his father’s death was the reason for his absence, sharing the news on Instagram alongside details of Hamady’s funeral, the Sun reported.
He accompanied the post with the words:
“From Him we come, and to Him we return,” and confirmed that the funeral will take place on Friday, January 23."
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Roberto De Zerbi’s side, head coach Arne Slot acknowledged the difficult period Konaté is going through.
“No, first of all, for the family matter, why he is not here, it is very sad for him,” Slot said. “Second of all, we miss him because I mainly played him [and Virgil van Dijk].”
In Konaté’s absence, Joe Gomez partnered Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defence. Van Dijk also sent a message of support to his teammate after the match, following Liverpool’s clean sheet in France.
“My thoughts are with him (Konaté),” the captain said. “I’m very happy to play with Joe. We are good friends, that helps as well. He played outstanding and was important in the first goal.”
Source: Getty Images
Before Wednesday night, Konaté had missed only two Carabao Cup matches for Liverpool this season, per Mirror Football.
His contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign, with Real Madrid among the clubs reportedly interested in the defender.
Liverpool’s victory in France moved them up to fourth place in the Champions League standings, two points clear of ninth-placed Barcelona. They face Qarabag at Anfield next week as they aim to avoid the play-off round and secure direct qualification for the last 16.
Konate was born in Paris and is the second youngest of eight siblings. His parents migrated to the French capital from Mali, while he left Paris aged 15 to join Sochaux’s youth academy.
The Frenchman has started every single Premier League game for the Reds this season. His contract at Anfield is set to expire this summer.
Meanwhile, just four months ago, Romelu Lukaku shared the heartbreaking news of the passing of his father, Roger Menama Lukaku.
The Belgian international took to Instagram to express his grief and pay tribute to the man who shaped much of his life and career.
Branislav Ivanovic loses cousin
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on another personal tragedy affecting former Chelsea star Branislav Ivanović following the death of his cousin Dejan Milovanovic.
The former Serbia international suddenly passed away after reportedly collapsing on the pitch during a veteran's football match on September 16 of this year.
Source: YEN.com.gh
