2023-09-02 17:03:48
“The first African Ballon d’Or, Salif Keita Domingo has bowed out. The Malian football federation announced the death of the former striker this Saturday at the age of 76. The Malian had marked the history of African football. He had won the first Ballon d’Or rewarding the best player of his continent in 1970. If he started his career in the country, between Stade Malien and AS Real Bamako, he landed in Europe wearing the green jersey of AS Saint-Etienne.
In the Loire, the legend “Domingo” weighs 185 games, 140 goals, three titles of champion of France and an amusing anecdote. While he had his money stolen before embarking for France in Liberia, he had to go back several times to find a taxi ready to swallow the kilometers of road to Saint-Étienne. This unpredictable striker has not regretted his long journey. The climax of his stay in France? The 1970-1971 season, that of Josip Skoblar’s goal record (44 goals), but also that of Keita’s 42 goals.
“The black panther left, taking with it a piece of our club, reacted the Loire club on social networks. Salif Keita, we mourn your loss. He took advantage of his time in Forez to play a match against Pelé’s Santos in 1971, the time for him to steal the show from Rei during the game. The Saint-Etienne icon continued his career in Marseille, before joining Valence, Sporting and completing his adventure in the United States.
Keita also played in Mali’s only African Cup of Nations final. Proof of his weight in Malian football history, he was president of the federation from 2005 to 2009. Above all, he founded the Salif-Keita Center in 1994, which provided the Malian selection with talented footballers, from his nephew Seydou Keita to former Lyonnais Mahamadou Diarra.
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