Karounga Keïta (1941 – 5 March 2023) was a Malian football official, coach and player in France and Mali, and president of one of Mali's two largest club sides Djoliba AC.
Keïta was born in Toukoto, Mali on September 22, 1941. Keïta played for former Bamako football club Sport Afrique in the late 1950s. When Mali gained independence, the football leagues were reorganised, and Sport Afrique was merged with Foyer du Soudan to form Djoliba AC. Keïta played with the new club from their creation in 1960 to 1962, when he traveled to France to pursue a law degree from the University of Bordeaux. While in Bordeaux he was recruited to play for local professional side Girondins de Bordeaux in 1963. He remained as a striker in the French top flight until 1969, making appearances for the Malian National team. He then returned to Mali in 1972, and became coach of his former club.
In 2005, he became Vice President of the Malian Football Federation, the nation's football governing body, and was elected president of Djoliba AC in 1990. Keïta was in 2009 re-elected President of Djoliba to a four-year term.
Keïta died on 5 March 2023, at the age of 81.
References
- ^ KEITA Karouga Archived 27 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine girondins4ever.com (2004–2006) accessed 2 April 2009
- ^ Karounga Keita re-elected president of Djoliba FC of Bamako Archived 2 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. PANA Press, 31 March 2009
- Salif Keita, l'Aigle du Mali. Carly Mouna, AfricaFoot. 22 June 2002. Accessed 2 April 2009.
- Assemblée générale du Djoliba : un nouveau bail pour KAROUNGA KEÏTA Archived 29 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. l'Essor n15891 – 12 February 2007
- "Disparition de Karounga Keita". girondins.com. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- 1941 births
- 2023 deaths
- People from Kayes Region
- University of Bordeaux alumni
- Men's association football forwards
- Malian men's footballers
- Malian expatriate men's footballers
- Malian expatriate sportspeople in France
- Expatriate men's footballers in France
- Ligue 1 players
- FC Girondins de Bordeaux players
- Mali men's international footballers
- Djoliba AC players
- Malian football officials
- Malian football managers
- 21st-century Malian people
- African Games silver medalists for Mali
- African Games medalists in football
- Competitors at the 1965 All-Africa Games