Seydou Keita facts for kids
Keita with Barcelona in 2008
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 January 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bamako, Mali | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Centre Salif Keita | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Marseille | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Marseille | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Lorient | 58 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2007 | Lens | 157 | (19) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Sevilla | 31 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | Barcelona | 119 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Dalian Aerbin | 37 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Valencia | 11 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Roma | 46 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | El Jaish | 16 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 481 | (60) | |||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Mali U20 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2015 | Mali | 102 | (25) | ||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Seydou Keïta (born 16 January 1980) is a former professional footballer from Mali. He was a very flexible midfielder. He could play both as a central midfielder and a defensive midfielder.
Keita is best known for playing with Lens for five seasons. He also played for Barcelona for four seasons. With Barcelona, he won an amazing 14 titles after joining in 2008. He started his football journey in Mali as a young player. Then, he began his professional career with Marseille in France. His career took him to play for clubs in France, Spain, China, Italy, and Qatar.
Keita also played for the Mali national team from the age of 18. He took part in seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He played in 102 international matches for his country. Besides being from Mali, he also has French citizenship.
Contents
Seydou Keïta's Club Journey
Starting in France: Marseille
Seydou Keita was born in Bamako, Mali. He moved to France to finish his football training. He joined Olympique de Marseille when he was 17 years old. For three years, he mostly played for the club's reserve team.
Keita played his first top-level game in Ligue 1 on 19 September 1999. It was a 1–0 win at home against Troyes AC. He also played three games in the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League that season. In the summer of 2000, he left Marseille.
Playing for Lorient and Lens
Keita then joined Lorient in Ligue 2. He was a key player for them, playing 37 games and scoring one goal. His help led the team to get promoted to the top league in 2001. The next season, he played a bit less because of an injury. Lorient was relegated that season. However, they won the Coupe de France for the first time ever. Keita played the whole final match against SC Bastia.
In 2002, Keita moved to another French team, Lens. He eventually became the team's captain. In his fifth and final season (2006–07), he scored a career-high 13 goals. He helped Lens finish fifth in the league. They also reached the last-16 in the UEFA Cup.
Moving to Spain: Sevilla
On 11 July 2007, Keita signed a four-year contract with Sevilla. The transfer cost €4 million. He played in both matches of the 2007 Supercopa de España. Sevilla won 6–3 against Real Madrid.
Keita was a regular starter for Sevilla in the 2007–08 season. He helped the team finish fifth in the league. On 3 November 2007, he scored a long-range goal in a 2–0 home win against Real Madrid. He also scored three goals in nine Champions League matches. This included a goal against Arsenal in a 3–1 home win. That was Arsenal's first loss of the season.
Joining FC Barcelona
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On 26 May 2008, Keita agreed to a four-year deal with Barcelona. Barcelona paid his €14 million release clause. He became the first player from Mali to play for Barcelona. His new release clause was set at €90 million.
Keita's first official game for Barcelona was on 13 August 2008. It was a Champions League qualifier against Poland's Wisła Kraków. Barcelona won 4–0 at home. He made his league debut on 31 August against CD Numancia. He came on as a substitute in a 0–1 away loss.
Keita scored his first goal for Barcelona on 16 November 2008. It was in a 2–0 win at Recreativo de Huelva. The next week, he scored again in a 1–1 home draw against Getafe. In his first season at the Camp Nou, he played 46 official games. Barcelona won the treble (three major trophies). He played 20 minutes in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final. Barcelona won 2–0 against Manchester United.
On 25 October 2009, Keita scored his first career hat-trick (three goals in one game). This was in a 6–1 home win against Real Zaragoza. He played in 29 games (starting 23) as Barcelona won the league again. In the 2010–11 season, he played more than any other outfield player. On 31 August, at age 31, he signed a new contract. This kept him at the club until 2014.
Playing in China: Dalian Aerbin
On 7 July 2012, Keita announced he was leaving Barcelona. He had been there for four seasons. A clause in his contract allowed him to leave even with two years left. The next day, he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal. He joined Chinese Super League team Dalian Aerbin. Reports said he was paid €14 million per year.
Back to Spain: Valencia
On 30 January 2014, Keita returned to Spain. He signed with Valencia. The 34-year-old agreed to a six-month contract. There was an option for an extra year. He played his first game for Valencia on 16 February. He came on as a substitute in a 0–0 draw against his old club Sevilla. On 13 March, he was sent off in a UEFA Europa League game. This happened after a challenge that led to a penalty kick. However, his team still won 3–0.
Keita scored Valencia's fastest-ever goal on 27 March 2014. He scored after just nine seconds against Almería. He also had to leave the game early due to an injury. The match ended in a 2–2 draw.
Playing in Italy: Roma
On 5 June 2014, Keita signed a one-year contract with Serie A club Roma. He played his first game of the season against ACF Fiorentina. Roma won 2–0. He scored his first goal on 9 November. This helped Roma beat Torino F.C. 3–0 at the Stadio Olimpico.
Keita agreed to a new one-year deal in 2015.
Final Club: El Jaish
Keita retired from football at the age of 37. His last season was in the Qatar Stars League with El Jaish.
Seydou Keïta's International Career
Keita helped Mali's under-20 team finish third in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria. He scored the only goal in the last match against Uruguay. He was also named the tournament's best player. He played his first senior game for Mali on 9 April 2000. This was a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Libya.
He wore the number 12 shirt for Mali. He played for his country in six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. In the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, he scored two goals. Both goals came in a 4–4 group stage draw against the hosts, Angola. Angola was leading 4–0 with only 11 minutes left. However, Mali could not get past the group stage. From 2007 to 2008, he scored 8 goals in 20 international matches from his midfield position.
Keita also played in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. He scored in a 1–1 quarterfinal draw against the hosts. Mali eventually won the penalty shootout.
Personal Life
Seydou Keita's uncle, Salif Keïta, was also a famous footballer. He played for clubs like Saint-Étienne, Marseille, Valencia, and Sporting CP. He was even voted African Footballer of the Year once.
Keita is married to Zubaida Johnson, who is from Cape Verde. On 12 May 2008, his son Mohammed was born in Seville. He also has three daughters named Hanane, Ishana, and Zulaykah, all born in Barcelona.
Career statistics
- Sources:
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Marseille | 1999–2000 | Ligue 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 10 | 1 | |
| Lorient | 2000–01 | Ligue 2 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 1 | ||
| 2001–02 | Ligue 1 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 29 | 2 | |||
| Total | 58 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 3 | ||
| Lens | 2002–03 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 39 | 3 | |
| 2003–04 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | |||
| 2004–05 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 42 | 5 | ||||
| 2005–06 | 35 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | — | 52 | 4 | |||
| 2006–07 | 38 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | — | 53 | 13 | |||
| Total | 157 | 19 | 18 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 218 | 24 | ||
| Sevilla | 2007–08 | La Liga | 31 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 7 | |
| Barcelona | 2008–09 | La Liga | 29 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | — | 46 | 6 | ||
| 2009–10 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 6 | |||
| 2010–11 | 35 | 3 | 9 | 2 | — | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 56 | 6 | |||
| 2011–12 | 26 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 42 | 4 | |||
| Total | 119 | 16 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 188 | 22 | ||
| Dalian Aerbin | 2012 | Chinese Super League | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 4 | |||
| 2013 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 37 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 10 | ||
| Valencia | 2013–14 | La Liga | 11 | 1 | — | — | 7 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | |||
| Roma | 2014–15 | Serie A | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | — | 36 | 3 | ||
| 2015–16 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 46 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 4 | ||
| El-Jaish | 2016–17 | Qatar Stars League | 16 | 6 | — | — | 5 | 0 | — | 21 | 6 | |||
| Career total | 481 | 60 | 49 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 110 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 653 | 78 | ||
International
- Source:
| Mali | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3 | 0 |
| 2001 | 4 | 1 |
| 2002 | 11 | 3 |
| 2003 | 7 | 1 |
| 2004 | 8 | 2 |
| 2005 | 4 | 0 |
| 2006 | 3 | 0 |
| 2007 | 9 | 4 |
| 2008 | 11 | 4 |
| 2009 | 5 | 0 |
| 2010 | 3 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 | 1 |
| 2012 | 10 | 2 |
| 2013 | 11 | 3 |
| 2014 | 6 | 1 |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 102 | 25 |
- Scores and results list Mali's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mali goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 December 2001 | Stade Baréma Bocoum, Mopti, Mali |  Ghana |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 10 January 2002 | Stade Abdoulaye Makoro Cissoko, Kayes, Mali |  Zambia |
1–1 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | 19 January 2002 | Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali |  Liberia |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2002 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 4 | 13 October 2002 |  Seychelles |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2004 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | ||
| 5 | 10 October 2003 | Estádio 24 de Setembro, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau |  Guinea-Bissau |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 6 | 18 August 2004 | Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, France |  DR Congo |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 7 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 8 | 6 February 2007 | Parc des Sports de la Courneuve, Saint-Denis, France |  Lithuania |
1–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 9 | 17 June 2007 | Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali |  Sierra Leone |
2–0 | 6–0 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | |
| 10 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 11 | 22 August 2007 | Stade Déjérine, Paris, France |  Burkina Faso |
3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly | |
| 12 | 1 June 2008 | Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali |  Congo |
1–0 | 4–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 13 | 4–1 | ||||||
| 14 | 22 June 2008 |  Sudan |
2–0 | 3–0 | |||
| 15 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 16 | 10 January 2010 | Estádio 11 de Novembro, Luanda, Angola |  Angola |
1–4 | 4–4 | 2010 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 17 | 3–4 | ||||||
| 18 | 23 July 2019 | Estádio Nacional do Chiazi, Cabinda, Angola |  Malawi |
1–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 19 | 11 November 2011 | Stade Municipal, Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, France | Burkina Faso |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 20 | 1 February 2012 | Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon |  Botswana |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 21 | 27 May 2012 | Stade Municipal, Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, France |  Ivory Coast |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly | |
| 22 | 20 January 2013 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa |  Niger |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2013 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 23 | 2 February 2013 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa |  South Africa |
1–1 | 1–1 | ||
| 24 | 9 February 2013 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa | Ghana |
2–1 | 3–1 | ||
| 25 | 19 November 2014 | Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali |  Algeria |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Football Achievements and Awards
Lorient
- Coupe de France: 2001–02 (Winner of the French Cup)
Lens
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005 (Winner of a European club competition)
Sevilla
- Supercopa de España: 2007 (Winner of the Spanish Super Cup)
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 (Winner of the Spanish League)
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12 (Winner of the Spanish King's Cup); runner-up 2010–11
- Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011 (Winner of the Spanish Super Cup)
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11 (Winner of Europe's top club competition)
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011 (Winner of the UEFA Super Cup)
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011 (Winner of the Club World Cup)
Mali National Team
- FIFA World Youth Championship third place: 1999 (Finished third in the U20 World Cup)
- Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2012, 2013 (Finished third in the African Cup of Nations)
Individual Awards
- FIFA World Youth Championship Golden Ball: 1999 (Award for the best player at the U20 World Cup)
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2002, 2010, 2012, 2013 (Chosen as one of the best players in the tournament)
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2006–07 (Chosen as one of the best players in the French League)
- CAF Team of the Year: 2009, 2011 (Chosen as one of the best players in Africa)
See also
In Spanish: Seydou Keita para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
