Death of Malian footballer Salif Keita, ex-player of Saint-Étienne and Marseille

2023-09-02 17:11:50

Footballer Salif Keita, who played in Saint-Étienne and Marseille in the 1970s, died on Saturday in Bamako, the Malian Minister for Sports announced. First winner of the African Ballon d’Or in 1970, the one who began his career in Mali was champion of France three times with the Greens.

Published on: 02/09/2023 – 17:11Modified on: 02/09/2023 – 17:13

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A former glory of African football is gone. THE Malian Salif Keitawho played in Saint-Étienne and Marseille in the 1970s, died on Saturday September 2 at the age of 76, announced the Malian Minister for Sports.

Salif Keita, born in 1946, died in Bamako, said Absou Kassim Ibrahim Fomba. “The Black Panther is gone, taking with it a piece of our club”, also soberly indicated on its account X (ex-Twitter) the ASSE whose emblem Keita had inspired.

The Malian Football Federation (Femafoot) also paid tribute to him. “Salif KEITA Domingo has bowed out. The world of sport in #Mali and particularly that of football wishes to send its condolences to the family of Salif Keïta but also to the Malian nation”, she wrote on her account X (formerly Twitter).

The ex-attacker had been Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of private initiative in the Malian transitional government (1991-1992). He also led Femafoot in the 2000s.

First winner of the African Ballon d’Or in 1970, Salif Keita began his career in Mali, at Real Bamako then at the Malian stadium before arriving in Saint-Étienne in 1967 at the age of 23.

With the Greens, he was champion of France three times (1968, 1969, 1970) and twice winner of the Coupe de France (1968, 1970) before leaving for Marseille in 1972. He then played in Valence (Spain ), at Sporting Portugal before ending his career in the United States, in Boston.

He also starred in the film “Le Ballon d’Or”, freely inspired by his story.

Nicknamed “Domingo” by his friends in reference to a name seen on the credits of a cinema poster when he was ten years old, Salif Keita, a slender, feline-looking player with an unparalleled technique and with a keen eye for goal, was one of the greatest strikers of his generation.

He died the day AS Saint-Etienne was to pay tribute to another club legend, George Bereta, who died at the start of the summer, during the Ligue 2 match ASSE-Valenciennes.

With AFP