The 17-year-old big man made his EuroLeague debut and even started the game
Teenager Sayon Keita sparks Barcelona past Maccabi
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 4 of 38
Regular Season
Maccabi Rapyd Tel AvivMTA
7192
FC BarcelonaBAR
Overview
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FC Barcelona head coach Joan Penarroya surprised many by choosing to start center Sayon Keita in his team's Round 4 game against Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv. Keita made his EuroLeague debut in this game and needed just 11 seconds to get his first points, picking up a bounce pass from Tomas Satoransky to throw it down with authority. It was the start of an 0-8 run in which Satoransky and Toko Shengelia each struck from downtown to put their team ahead for good. Barca led from start to finish to collect its third consecutive victory, downing Maccabi 71-92.
Keita made no mistakes in the first quarter as he amassed 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal and 1 foul drawn for a PIR of 7. At the end of the first quarter, Barca led 18-31. It is safe to say that Keita surprised everyone, including many Barca fans. He finished the game with 4 points and 2 rebounds in 16 minutes.
"I was super nervous at the start of the game but after a minute or so, I was already very quiet, just went out there to have fun," Keita said after the game. "When I was told I was going to be in the starting five, I was a bit out of my mind because I thought I would mess up a bit, but it wasn't like that, it felt good. I went out there with a good attitude."
Who is Sayon Keita?
Who is Sayon Keita and what can we expect from him in the future?
Born in Mali, Keita was discovered in the streets of Bamako by Mohamed Maiga, the director of Serge Ibaka's Dreams Academy in that city. In December 2020, Maiga was on his way to the Spanish embassy in Bamakao when he saw a tall, slim kid. he immediately asked to meet his family and proposed that he join the academy. Keita followed a tailor-made sports and nutritional plan built by the Dreams Academy, which allowed him to develop his physical and basketball skills with the goal of playing in Spain.
Keita signed with FC Barcelona in summer 2023 and immediately became a star in junior categories. He helped U18 FC Barcelona win the NextGen Belgrade tournament in 2024 with 23 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks and a PIR of 40 in the final against U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. In the NextGen Finals in Berlin, Keita averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and a PIR of 23.7.
He made his Spanish League debut against Rio Breogan last season. A few days before that, Keita was selected to his first team's 12-man squad against Real Madrid. He didn't get to play, but managed to be in the roster against his mentor, Ibaka, who shared his joy in social media after the game.
Barca dominates Maccabi
Barca was close to setting some records against Maccabi. It led 32-60 at halftime and that 28-point difference at the break was the second highest in club history. It previously built a 31-point lead, 19-50, in a game against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on February 21, 2013. Its 60 first-half points were one away from the club record, as Barca scored 61 in a first half against Khimki Moscow Region on December 6, 2019.
Willy Hernagomez led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds in just 14 minutes, posting a PIR of 27.
"It is never easy to win in this EuroLeague. I think we executed really well at both end of the floor and played a complete basketball game during 40 minutes," Hernangomez said. "We made mistakes through the game but definitely, I am proud of my guys and my coaches. It is a big win for us and now looking to the next one."
That next game comes right away, as Barca visits Dubai Basketball, featuring two of its former players Justin Anderson and Sertac Sanli, on Thursday.
