33·Legends

Fantamady Keita vs Frédéric Kanouté

Mali against Mali. The almanac states its case, the crowd votes, you decide.

FK

Fantamady Keita

Mali · 1968–1976 · ST

Almanac rating
84
Rank in Mali
#7 of 33
Clubs
AS Real Bamako, Stade Rennais, Angoulême Charente

Mali had never reached a Nations Cup final until the 1972 semi-final against Zaire, when Keita struck twice, the second deep in extra time, to settle a 4-3 thriller. He finished that tournament as its leading scorer and collected a runners-up medal after the 3-2 defeat by Congo, and CAF later named him among Africa's 200 best players of the preceding 50 years. Career record: club career at AS Real Bamako, Stade Rennais, Angoulême Charente.

vs
FK

Frédéric Kanouté

Mali · 2004–07 · SS

Almanac rating
88
Rank in Mali
#3 of 33
Caps
39 · 23 goals
Clubs
West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Sevilla

Extra time at Hampden Park on 16 May 2007: his 105th-minute goal put Sevilla ahead of Espanyol in the UEFA Cup final, and after the equaliser he scored in the shootout. Sevilla had won the same trophy in 2006, and his 136 goals stand as their foreign record; he scored 23 in 38 for Mali, shared the 2004 Cup of Nations golden boot, and 2007 made him the first African Footballer of the Year born outside the continent. Career record: 39 caps and 23 goals for Mali; club career at West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Sevilla.

The verdict

The almanac puts Frédéric Kanouté ahead by 4 rating points, 88 against 84.

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