Idrissa Keita

Ivorian footballer

Idrissa Keita
Personal information
Date of birth	(1977-04-10) 10 April 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth	Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1996–1997	ASEC Mimosas
1997–1998	Levante	5	(0)
1999–2002	Oviedo	67	(0)
1999	Oviedo B	1	(0)
2001–2002	→ Santa Clara (loan)	11	(0)
2003–2005	Algeciras	23	(0)
2005–2006	Mérida	28	(2)
2006–2008	Racing Ferrol	42	(0)
2008–2009	Marino	17	(0)
Total		193	(2)
International career
1997	Ivory Coast U20	3	(0)
2000–2003	Ivory Coast	4	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Idrissa Keita (born 10 April 1977) is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He also held Spanish citizenship.

Club career

Keita was born in Abidjan. After starring for Ivory Coast at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship he, alongside countryman Félix Dja Ettien, was bought by Spanish club Levante UD. The pair struggled mightily during their first months in the new reality,^[1] with Keita eventually failing to settle altogether and leaving in January 1999 for La Liga team Real Oviedo, being irregularly used during his stay and starting in 37 of his 48 games in the top division (the Asturians would be relegated in his third season).

In April 2001, Keita was briefly suspended by the Royal Spanish Football Federation for allegedly holding a false French passport.^[2] After five years with Oviedo, which included a loan in Portugal, he continued his career in Spain in its second and third tiers, in a stint in the country which spanned over a decade.^[3]^[4]

References

^ Minshull, Phil (17 November 2004). "Felix who?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
^ "Ivorian suspended by Spanish FA". BBC Sport. 20 April 2001. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
^ Vázquez, J. (6 July 2008). "Idrissa Keita seguirá un año más en Ferrol" [Idrissa Keita will continue in Ferrol another year]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 October 2019.
^ Fernández, José (23 August 2008). "El Marino se hace con los servicios de Idrissa Keita" [Marino acquire services of Idrissa Keita]. La Nueva España (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 October 2019.