Jean Marie Sylla
Guinean footballer (1983–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jean Marie Sylla (22 April 1983 – 26 July 2025) was a Guinean professional footballer who played as a left midfielder.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jean Marie Sylla | ||
| Date of birth | 22 April 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Conakry, Guinea | ||
| Date of death | 26 July 2025 (aged 42) | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Left midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001−2003 | Horoya Conakry | ||
| 2003–2005 | Ergotelis | 48 | (4) |
| 2005–2006 | Kallithea | 22 | (1) |
| 2006 | OFI | 11 | (0) |
| 2007 | Apollon Kalamarias | 10 | (1) |
| 2007–2009 | PAS Giannina | 29 | (2) |
| 2009–2010 | Kalamata | 15 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Villemomble Sports | 26 | (2) |
| 2012–2014 | ES Viry-Châtillon | 48 | (4) |
| Total | 209 | (15) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
Sylla was born in Conakry.[2] He began his football career at Horoya Conakry, with whom he won the Guinea National Championship in 2001.[3] He then spent most of his professional career in Greece. He played for Heraklion-based Beta Ethniki side Ergotelis, most notably helping them achieve promotion to the Super League Greece for the first time in their history, scoring the winning injury time goal vs. Akratitos during the 2003−04 Alpha Ethniki relegation play-off match.[4] He left the club after the 2004–05 season following contractual disputes after the club was relegated back to the Beta Ethniki, and eventually joined Super League Greece side Kallithea. After one season in top-flight at the El Paso, Sylla stayed in Greece until 2011, playing for OFI, Apollon Kalamarias, PAS Giannina and Kalamata at various levels of the Greek football league system.
In 2011, Sylla moved to France and continued his career with CFA clubs Villemomble Sports and ES Viry-Châtillon.[citation needed] Having left the club in 2014 to tend to a family-related issue,[3] Sylla was diagnosed with Charcot's disease in September 2014, and was forced to retire at age 31.[3]
Death
On 26 July 2025, Sylla's former club Ergotelis announced that he had died that day. He was 42.[5]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ergotelis | 2003–04 | Beta Ethniki | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 1 | 26 | 3 |
| 2004–05 | Alpha Ethniki | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 1 | ||
| Total | 47 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 4 | ||
| Kallithea | 2005–06 | Alpha Ethniki | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 1 | |
| OFI | 2006–07 | Super League Greece | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| Apollon Kalamarias | 2006–07 | Super League Greece | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 1 | |
| PAS Giannina | 2007–08 | Beta Ethniki | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 2 | |
| 2008–09 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| Total | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | 2 | |||
| Kalamata | 2009–10 | Beta Ethniki | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |
| Villemomble Sports | 2011–12 | CFA | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 2 | |
| Viry-Châtillon | 2012–13 | CFA | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 31 | 3 | |
| 2013–14 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | |||
| Total | 48 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 48 | 4 | |||
| Career total | 208 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 212 | 15 | ||
Honours
Horoya
