Kingsley Mensah "Fifi" Baiden (born November 11, 1991) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kingsley Mensah Baiden | ||
| Date of birth | November 11, 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Ajumako, Ghana | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Right to Dream Academy | |||
| 2007–2010 | Dunn School | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2013 | UC Santa Barbara Gauchos | 76 | (2) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014 | Columbus Crew | 1 | (0) |
| 2014 | → Dayton Dutch Lions (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 3 | (0) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early life and education
editBaiden was born November 11, 1991, in Ajumako, Ghana.[1] He was a member of Ghana-based Right to Dream Academy, which he joined around the age of 10.[1][2] To help his family financially, Baiden would sell kerosene amongst other odd jobs.[3] He describes his early life:
Growing up in Ghana was tough. I grew up in a poor household where food and education was scarce. Soccer was one of the gateways for poor children to create opportunities for themselves from that poor environment.
— Fifi Baiden[1]
He earned a scholarship to Dunn School in Los Olivos, California for Fall 2007.[1] With Dunn, he captured three straight MVP awards. He earned an athletic scholarship to the University of California, Santa Barbara and played four years of college soccer for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team.[4]
Playing career
editIn January 2014, Baiden was drafted in the 3rd round (42nd overall) of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by the Columbus Crew.[5] He became the second Right to Dream Academy member to be drafted into MLS after former Dunn School and UCSB teammate Michael Tetteh.[3] After playing for them in preseason, he was officially signed in February 2014.[6][7]
Baiden made his professional debut on March 30, 2014, when he appeared on loan for the Columbus Crew's USL Pro affiliate club Dayton Dutch Lions in a 0–3 loss against New York Red Bulls Reserves.[8][9]
Baiden would return to make one appearance for the Columbus Crew on May 31, 2014.[10] In July 2014, he was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list due to a torn acetabular labrum.[11] Baiden was waived at the conclusion of the season.[12]
Post-playing career
editBaiden was named as a volunteer assistant coach with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team in August 2015.[13] He spent the 2015 season with the Gauchos as the team went 14-7-2 and advanced to the third round of the 2015 NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament, but Baiden was not listed on the coaching roster the following season.
He founded the non-profit Fifi Soccer Foundation and authored the book The Hope You Can Have.[14]
He currently coaches multiple teams with Santa Barbara Soccer Club.[15] He is a project manager with Public Works Alliance.[16]
Personal life
editBaiden was named a Humanitarian Ambassador for MAP International in August 2014 for his efforts in the 2014 West African Ebola virus epidemic.[17]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Farrow, Austin (September 19, 2014). "The Determination of BlackStar Kingsley Baiden". www.SoccerNewsDay.com. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ Ochoa, Paul-Michael (November 13, 2013). "Fifi Baiden: Ghana Born, Gaucho Bred". Daily Nexus. Santa Barbara, California.
- ^ a b Kwaw, Erasmus (February 3, 2014). "From Kerosene seller to the MLS: The story of Fifi Baiden". www.Goal.com. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ "Fifi Baiden: Santa Barbara Athletics". UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ Ochoa, Paul-Michael (January 22, 2014). "Two Gauchos Selected in MLS SuperDraft". Daily Nexus. Santa Barbara, California. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ Jardy, Adam (February 12, 2014). "Baiden Reportedly Signs". The Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ Guldan, Patrick (February 14, 2014). "Crew add Ben Sweat and Fifi Baiden to roster". www.MassiveReport.com. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ van Druenen, Sid (March 30, 2014). "Dayton Dutch Lions Fall on the Road". Dayton Dutch Lions. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ Efrus, Richard (March 31, 2014). "Red Bulls Reserves Earn 3-0 Win Over Dayton Dutch Lions". New York Red Bulls. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ "Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew". Major League Soccer. May 31, 2014. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ "Crew will be without injured Williams, Baiden". USA Today. Tysons Corner, Virginia. July 18, 2014.
- ^ Jardy, Adam (November 18, 2014). "Crew Declines Options On Seven Players". The Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ "Gauchos add O'Brien, Baiden to staff". PresidioSports.com. August 26, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ "Welcome". fifisoccer.com. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
- ^ "Coaching Staff". santabarbarasc.org. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
- ^ "Our Team". publicworksalliance.org. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
- ^ "Columbus Crew Member, Kingsley "Fifi" Baiden Named Humanitarian Ambassador for MAP International". www.map.org. August 29, 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-12-19. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
Further reading
edit- The Hope You Can Have, ISBN 9781925935660
External links
edit- Fifi Baiden at Major League Soccer
- Columbus Crew player profile
- USL PRO player profile at the Wayback Machine (archived August 12, 2014)
- UC Santa Barbara player profile
- Right to Dream Academy player profile