FT African Legends Series: Salif Keita, a forgotten hero?

African football has much to thank for the legacy of a certain Salif Keita who played in Europe between 1967 and 1980. There is another famous person who goes by the name Salif Keita but he is an Afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. Our FirstTouch Legend Keita, is the uncle to the Seydou Keita who played for Barcelona recently. Let’s take you through the career of the goal scoring machine that earned our African Football Legendary status.

Background

Also known as ‘The Black Pearl of Bamako’, Salif Keita was born in Mali in December 1946. He moved to France in 1967 to pursue his career in soccer at AS Saint-Etienne where he won three Ligue 1 titles. Keita scored an astonishing 71 league goals in his two seasons at the club. He moved on to fellow Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille in 1972 after scoring 42 goals in his last season for his former club and failing to win any silverware. His time at Marseille was cut short after the club tried to force him to assume French nationality so that he could represent them on the international scene. Keita was a proud African and he refused those advances which saw him leaving for the Spanish side, Valencia. Racism was still rife during those days which is evidenced by a headline which read, “Valencia goes out to buy Germans and comes back with a black man.” However, he was loved by his new club who gave him the nickname, ‘La Perla Negra de Mali’ which translates to The Black Pearl of Mali. He later played for Sporting Clube de Portugal before moving to New England Tea Men in the MLS where he retired at the age of 34.

Contribution To The Game

Salif Keita was one of the first soccer players that shone in the Number 10 jersey and made it as famous as it is today. He dazzled fans in Europe with his amazing dribbling ability carrying that number at the back which inspired many players who followed. Soccer greats like Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane, and others have worn this shirt which is respected and usually reserved for the best players on the team. Without Keita carrying 10, the jersey might not have been as significant as it is present day football. The game has evolved over the years but much respect should be reserved for the Malian striker who left a mark in the sport which many now call their religion.

Soccer took its time to rise up in terms of popularity within the US. Many suggested that the culture in the country is a major reason why this is. They alluded that Americans are generally interested in sports in which there are a lot of scores. This affected their perception of soccer which sometimes has matches that end in goalless draws. During Salif Keita’s time, however, this would not have been a concern. The striker was famous for scoring goals. As mentioned earlier he scored a total of 71 goals in two seasons during his stint at AS Saint-Etienne. He was a joy to watch. These numbers are difficult to match in the present day with only a handful of players reaching these numbers on a consistent basis.  

Salif Keita left a legacy in the game. His nephew Seydou Keita carried the family torch after him as he played for Barcelona under Pep Guardiola. As football fans, nothing beats the feeling we get when we see a young player following in the footsteps of our former heroes. Think of Jay-Jay Okocha for example, and his nephew Iwobi. These youngsters are adored in the sport because they bring memories of players who shed their sweat, blood, and tears to entertain the millions of soccer fans who watch the games. Salif Keita was one of the players who inspired their family members to play soccer and supported them throughout their career. We have him to thank for that.

If you were wondering what type of a striker he was, think of Cristiano Ronaldo. Keita was ruthless in front of goal but also had the composure and trickery to create space for himself and beat opponents before rifling in a shot past the goalkeeper. He was also versatile and could play anywhere up front. If you recall how Edinson Cavani adjusted his game during his early years at PSG where he played out wide, that paints a picture of how Keita was when he was asked to play for Valencia. He had a football brain so it was easy for him to play in any position.

Image Credit: Bamada.net

Today, many players are seen moving to the MLS in the later stages of their career. Football greats such as Kaka, Steven Gerrard, David Beckham, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have all plied their trade in the US in their 30s. This was started by Keita who moved to the MLS in 1979 and has become a trend for many star players who are looking for some competition before retirement. The Malian forward has clearly left a mark on the game of soccer.

Also, we look at his ranking among FirstTouch African Legends. It is only fair to compare him with fellow African players who played in the same position. There are probably just three players ahead of him i.e. Eto’o, Rodger Milla and Didier Drogba. This is only because these other players were more consistent than him and played on the biggest stage for a long time. They also managed to win multiple African Player of the Year awards as compared to Keita’s sole accolade awarded in 1970.

Life After Football

1. In 1994, Keita created the first training center for professional football players in Mali

2. June 2005, he was elected president of the Mali Football Federation

3. A year later, the Confederation of African Football selected him as one of the best 200 African Soccer players of the past 50 years

4. Since 2007, he has been acting as a delegated minister of the Prime Minister of Mali

FT Top 10 World Cup Snub: Honorary Mention - Leroy Sane

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Leroy Sane - Germany

Most arguably the biggest omission of them all. Leroy Sane, one of the best players in Manchester City’s title-winning squad, has been left out of the German team to compete at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. No one could have predicted that he would not make it having scored 14 goals and contributing 17 assists in the most competitive league in the world, the English Premier League. He also won PFA Young Player of the Year. Surely, Joachim Low has made a big decision that could backfire against him. He prefers Brandt and Draxler who have a combined 16 goals and 9 assists in the 2017/18 season. Clearly, these two are not on the 22-year old’s level which leaves us wondering. Why is it that he has been dropped out of that German squad? We need answers!

FT Top 10 World Cup Snub: #2 - Alexander Lacazette

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Alexander Lacazette - France

Alexander Lacazette has reasons to be extremely disappointed as he will not be flying to Russia with the French National Team to play in the World Cup this summer. After making a triumphant return with Arsenal following a mid-season knee injury, his goals helped guide Arsenal to the UEFA Europa League Final. French manager, Didier Deschamps, pointed to Lacazette perhaps not impressing him over the last two years as opposed to his recent form. During the last international friendlies, Lacazette and Anthony Martial were both decisive players and Lacazette scored against Germany. Nevertheless, a massive snub indeed, and some of the French media have focused on the fact that Deschamps has chosen more versatile attackers that are capable of playing in multiple positions and tactically assuming multiple roles. Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, and Antoine Griezmann are most likely the starting attacking players and with players like Nabil Fekir and Ousmane Dembele also in the 23-man group, France certainly may not regret Lacazette’s absence.

FT Top World Cup Snubs: #1 - Mauro Icardi

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Mauro Icardi - Argentina

Mauro Icardi has been exempted from the FIFA World Cup 2018 Squad for Argentina. Many analysts have come out to say that the Inter Milan striker is so unfortunate to be playing in the age of great attacking options for the country with players like Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala and Lionel Messi. Nonetheless, the player has done enough to deserve a place in the squad. The role of the striker is to score goals and Icardi has just done that for his club this season scoring 30 goals in 38 matches. This rate is better than Higuain and Dybala’s returns this season who played in the same competitions with the player but only managed 27 and 26 each respectively. There are not many players as gifted as the young 25-year old at finishing but Jorge Sampaoli could not trust that he would bring them success in the tournament which raises questions about how these decisions are made. The player evidently had a better season than many but is omitted from the squad which proves that he falling short because he represents a smaller club than his counterparts.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #3 - Mario Götze

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Mario Götze - Germany

This one is quite shocking. Who would have ever thought that Mario Götze of all people, would be left out by Joachim Low. The attacking midfielder won Germany the FIFA World Cup in 2014 by scoring the goal that made the difference against Argentina in the final. He controlled the cross from the left and finished past Romero on the 112th minute. This gutted Lionel Messi who went on to retire from the national team. The young German became a hero for his goal which gifted Germany with the World Cup and many assumed that he would be repaid by a place in the final squad. The player has not had a terrible season either having made 38 appearances across all competitions which yielded 3 goals and 6 assists. Surely, Goetze deserved more from his team but the coach thinks otherwise. At the end of the day, Low probably sees that the player delivered when asked to but is now surplus to requirements. Such is the life of a footballer. One moment you’re idolized and the next, you’re insignificant.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #4 - Renato Sanches

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Renato Sanches - Portugal

Young Portuguese prodigy, Renato Sanches had a breakout season in the 2015/16 season which earned him a place in the Portugal national team at the UEFA Euro 2016. Ronaldo’s team went on to win the tournament for the first time and the youngster was influential with his second half cameos. Since then, the young midfielder joined Bayern Munich, failed to compete for a starting spot before being shipped out on loan to Swansea this season. The player struggled to make the first team at Swansea who were relegated. He had so much promise which persuaded Bayern Munich into paying £27.5m for his services from Benfica but his trajectory is gradually declining. He will not be a part of the Portugal team that will compete at the FIFA World Cup Russia and he has no one to blame. 20-years of age and is already regarded as an extravagant option. He would not have imagined this, not in a million years.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #5 - Shkodran Mustafi

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Shkodran Mustafi - Germany

Another World Cup winner, Shkodran Mustafi has been left out of the Germany squad to compete at this year’s tournament in Russia. The Arsenal defender has had a poor season this year which saw his club finish 6th in the English Premier League. Mustafi was culpable for a number of errors alongside his injury-prone partner, Laurent Koscielny and the pair summarize the defensive problems that the club has. Although Arsenal scored 74 goals, they also shipped in 51 which explains their position in Wenger’s final year in charge. Mustafi had been an international regular as he was also in defense when the country won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017. Many expected him to continue his fill-in role where he usually stands in at right-back, left-back or anywhere in defense. He had been getting away with murder by turning in better performances for his national side than at Arsenal and his luck has finally run out. Joachim Low chose to drop the out of form defender and chose Rudiger instead who has had a slightly better season. Mustafi will not play at this year’s tournament. Ask the Arsenal fans for more.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #6 - Javier Pastore

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Javier Pastore - Argentina

The creative midfielder has failed to make the provisional list of the Argentina national team. This comes as a shocker for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder who has enjoyed an amazing season with his club after the recruitment of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Rubbing shoulders with great players is a dream for many footballers but Pastore’s numbers this season fail to reflect his contributions for PSG. He only managed 5 goals and 5 assists in all competitions which have led to his omission from the national team side. Pastore must be heartbroken to miss out on such a prestigious tournament that his national team came close to winning in 2014. That wraps up the list of the players that failed to make it because they were dropped but there are also big name players who have been ruled out because of injuries which include Dani Alves (Brazil), Chamberlain (England), Koscielny (France) among others.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #7 - Sandro Wagner

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Sandro Wagner - Germany

The self-proclaimed ‘best striker’ in Germany, Sandro Wagner has been left out of the World Cup squad by Joachim Low. The player joined Bayern Munich in the middle of the season from Hoffenheim where he had scored 4 goals already. Wagner has scored a total of 14 goals in all competitions and has assisted 4 goals which are not a bad return considering that he has been playing second fiddle to Robert Lewandowski. The player is an out-and-out striker which is a position that Germany has been lacking in talent in recent years. They resorted to Klose and Mario Gomez in recent years because of the lack of options. Now, in a new age of players like Timo Werner and Wagner, the Bayern Munich striker thought he had a chance to represent his nation at the World Cup. Instead, he has been left out which is not just disappointing but shocking as well.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #8 - Karim Benzema

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Karim Benzema - France

The Real Madrid striker has not featured for France since 2015. The player was involved in a scandal with teammate Valbuena which saw them both dismissed from the national team fold. Karim Benzema’s qualities are undeniable having been trusted to be Real Madrid’s first choice striker ever since Gonzalo Higuain left in 2013. He fell out of favor with the coach of the national team, Didier Deschamps who is refusing to bring back the player to the national side. The player had a below average season compared to his other outings in the Los Blancos colors but he still scored 10 goals and also helped his teammates to score on 11 occasions. Cristiano Ronaldo likes his strike partnership with Benzema, imagine how France would line-up with Mbappe, Benzema and Griezmann. Anyways, the squad is yet to be announced by Benzema is almost certain to not be included in the team. What a waste of talent by the French national team setup.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #9 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Sweden

Yes. The Greatest of All Time, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been snubbed by his national team, Sweden at this year’s grandest tournament. The 36-year old recently joined LA Galaxy from Manchester United after having struggled to retain his form due to a knee injury which he picked up in 2017. The striker was received in Los Angeles with a bang after scoring a vicious rocket from more than 30 yards out on the volley. Such moments typify his career where he has scored some amazing goals not only for his clubs but also for his national team. The player has always been the face of the Swedish national team as long as we can remember but it has finally come to an end. Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired from the national team own his own last year when he was trying to focus on his fitness for Manchester United. He has since recovered and was contemplating on offering his services. He claimed, “It is up to me to decide whether I should play at the World Cup”. Well, I guess it was not all up to him as the Swedish manager, Lars Richt stated that, “Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in that case, for the same reason as with previous national team gatherings, not under consideration for the World Cup squad that national team coach Janne Andersson will announce on May 15.” It’s official, the player will not be playing at the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #10 - Jack Wilshire

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at some of the players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Jack Wilshere – England

Regarded as England’s only creative genius, Jack Wilshere has suffered from injuries which hampered his progress ever since he made a name for himself at Arsenal. The player left for Bournemouth last season in search of playing time and had a decent season. He came back to Arsenal and was slowly integrated back into the first team fold. He played some crucial matches in the UEFA Europa League before being handed the chance to redeem himself in the Premier League where he scored 2 goals and provided 5 assists in all competitions. The player was called up to the national team by Gareth Southgate last month before picking up a slight knock that prevented him from playing. I think he is ruing that opportunity because it has cost him his place in the final team.

The England boss named his final list and the player was not even a part of the provisional five. He must be disappointed not to make it. Without Wilshere, England has little creativity from midfield which means that their chances of going far in the tournament have already reduced before even kicking a ball.

Zlatan leads LA Galaxy to a 4-3 win in MLS debut

It has just been 2 nights since the Swedish legend was mobbed at the airport by fans celebrating his arrival in the Major Soccer League. He recently confirmed that he was destined to move to LA Galaxy but had to put that on hold in order to help out Mourinho at Manchester United. He has already started paying off that debt of keeping the MLS waiting by scoring a stunner on his debut. Carlos Vela bossed the match early on as he scored a brace for newly formed club Los Angeles FC while Zlatan was watching from the bench. A Steres own goal made it 3-0 LAFC and Galaxy were looking they were going to lose. It was only after Lletget had reduced the deficit to 3-1 when they called on Zlatan to produce a miracle and save them from a huge embarrassment. Suddenly the team was playing to his strengths and putting the ball over in the box and his teammate Pontius benefited from that as he scored the 2nd goal for Galaxy. Zlatan then took the matters into his own hands when he scored a “worldie”. He connected a volley from 40 yards out and smashed it into the net on the 77th minute to make it 3-3 in the derby. The player who calls himself the God of football then scored the decider on the 90th minute from a cross into the box. He made no mistake as he jumped above the defender and headed it past the on rushing goalkeeper to confirm the win for LA Galaxy. What a way to introduce himself in the MLS. These goals have confirmed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored in all his first official games for the clubs he has played for. What a phenomenon.

The player’s agent challenges the decision to omit Super Mario

Mino Raiola is one of the biggest player agents in world football. He represents players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Mkhitaryan and the controversial forward Mario Balotelli. Balotelli has had a history of causing havoc in the team’s that he has represented before with his temper issues and arrogance. This led to a clash between him and his old national team coach Ventura which ended up in him being dropped out of the squad. Ventura has since left the post but the problem seems to persist. The player has once again been omitted from the Italy squad that will play against England and Argentina although he has been in fine form having scored 21 goals in 33 matches this season. His agent Raiola is angry at this decision and wants to understand why he has been snubbed ahead of other strikers who have less production than Balotelli. Raiola calls for a different management at national level which supports players that are the best. Caretaker boss Di Biagio has disappointed many by this decision. Do you think he was justified and that Italy don’t need the polarizing vibes brought by the talented forward? Have your say in the comment section.