33·Legends
‹ Mali's 33
Mali · 1968–72

Salif Keita

Legend CAM, also CM, SS Right-footed playmakercreator
Rating
90
Caps
28
Goals
13
Life
1946–2023
Clubs
AS Saint-Étienne, Valencia CF, Sporting CP
#1
Editorial rank of 33 for Mali
–
The people's rank, live from duel votes

The Black Panther scored 42 league goals in the 1970-71 season for Saint-Étienne, two behind Josip Skoblar, and finished his time there with 125 in 149 league matches. In 1970 he became the first winner of the African Footballer of the Year award, and he took three straight French championships between 1968 and 1970, two Coupes de France, and a place in the Mali side that reached the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations final in Yaoundé. Career record: 28 caps and 13 goals for Mali; club career at AS Saint-Étienne, Valencia CF, Sporting CP.

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Career record

1964–1965AS Real Bamako
1965–1966Stade Malien
1966–1967AS Real Bamako
1967–1972AS Saint-Étienne
1972–1973Olympique de Marseille
1973–1976Valencia CF
1976–1979Sporting CP
1979–1980New England Tea Men
1979–1980Jacksonville Tea Men
Mali28 caps, 13 goals

Shared the era

Mali legends whose careers overlapped Keita's

The world's great CAMs

Around Keita in the almanac

One rank below: Seydou Keita at #2.

Mali's editorial top five: Salif Keita · Seydou Keita · Frédéric Kanouté · Mahamadou Diarra · Mohamed Sissoko.