Former Malian striker Sali Keita, one of the greatest players in the history of African football, died yesterday at the age of 76 in a hospital in Bamako. He is the uncle of Seydou Keita, a former player of Seville, FC Barcelona and Valencia.
Keita made his career at Saint-Étienne (1967-72), where he won three Ligue 1 and two Cups, Marseille (1972-73), Valencia (1973-76), Sporting de Portugal (1976-79) and New England Tea Men from the United States (1979-80).
Keita was the first African Footballer of the Year awarded by France Football in 1970 and in 1971 he received the European Silver Boot after scoring 42 goals for Saint-Étienne, second only to the Croatian. Joseph Skoblar, who achieved 44 with Marseille and won the Silver Boot. In that season he scored six goals against Sedan (8-0).
He made his debut in the Mali team at the age of 16 and helped them reach the final of the African Cup in 1972 before losing to Congo (3-2). From 2005 to 2009 he was president of the Mali Football Federation.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
