Fantamady KEÏTA

Mali international Fantamady Keïta was born in Bamako, and began his career in 1969. He was renowned for his clinical finishing in front of goal. He was at Real Bamako for three seasons, and in 1972, he participated at the African Cup of Nations with his native Mali, getting to the final and finishing top scorer of the tournament with five goals to his name. His good performances attracted the attention of several European clubs, and that's how he ended up signing for Stade Rennais in 1972. He would make an excellent start to his time at the club, scoring three goals in his first two appearances. He would prove to be slightly less prolific thereafter, but he would still figure in the starting line-up on a regular basis in his first two seasons with Rennes; Alas, he would not be spared injury problems, and he ended up playing less and less in his last season, making just 6 appearances in the 1974/1975 campaign. The Rennes board deemed Keïta to be too much of a burden on the wage-bill, and he would be obliged to leave the club when his contract expired in 1975. He migrated to the USA to sign for Philadelphia on a year-long contract. After his spell in America, he returned to France, and played for Angoulême before helping out with Spanish and Portuguese clubs on short-term deals on each occasion. He finished his playing days back in France with Chaumont, from 1979 to 1984. After hanging up his boots, he set up home in the Savoie region in the French Alps to retrain and change his professional orientation.