Guy Van Sam

Guy Van Sam (20 December 1935 – 8 February 2024) was a footballer who played as a striker for Montpellier, RC Paris, and Toulon. Born in Lebanon, he made three appearances for the France national team.

Guy Van Sam

Personal information
Date of birth	(1935-12-20)20 December 1935
Place of birth	Beirut, Lebanese Republic
Date of death	8 February 2024(2024-02-08) (aged 88)
Place of death	Toulon, France
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position	Striker
Youth career
1955–1958	Enclos Saint-François [fr]
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1958–1960	Montpellier	73	(47)
1960–1965	Racing Paris	122	(61)
1965–1968	Toulon	85	(30)
1968–1972	La Valette
Total		280	(138)
International career
1961	France	3	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life

Van Sam was born in Beirut, Lebanon on 20 December 1935 to Tran Van Sam, born in Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia,^[2] an ethnic Vietnamese French consul in Beirut,^[3] and a Lebanese mother from the Mouawad family.^[3][1] His father joined the Free French Forces, becoming Secretary General of their General Staff, and was the first person of Asian descent to be naturalized French.^[3] Following Lebanon's independence in 1946, the family settled in France.^[3]

Van Sam attended the Enclos Saint-François [fr] private school in Montpellier.^[3] He has two brothers who also played football:^[4] his brother, Richard, later became the head coach of the Tahiti national football team in 1980, and then in 1997.^[5]

Career

Vam Sam scored 50 goals in 96 Division 1 matches with RC Paris (1960–1965), and 86 goals in 185 Division 2 matches with SO Montpellier (1958–1960) and SC Toulon (1965–1968).^[6]

He played three games for the France national team in 1961, against Belgium (friendly), Spain (friendly), and Bulgaria (1962 FIFA World Cup qualification).^[6] Van Sam was the first player of Vietnamese descent to play for the France national team.^[2]

Death

Van Sam died in Toulon on 8 February 2024, at the age of 88.^[6]