Ilir Kepa (born 21 April 1966 in Shkodër) is an Albanian retired football striker who played for the Albania national team.

Ilir Kepa
Personal information
Date of birth (1966-04-21) 21 April 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth Shkodër, Albania
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1991 Vllaznia Shkodër
1991–1994 RWDM 41 (8)
1994–1996 Louhans-Cuiseaux 24 (14)
1996–1998 Olympic Charleroi 51
International career
1988–1993 Albania 7 (1)
Managerial career
2007 RWDM47
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Club

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Kepa played for Vllaznia Shkodër but fled communist Albania on 30 March 1991 alongside six other internationals (among them Rudi Vata), when the left the national team's hotel in Paris right after the European Championship qualification match against France.[1] He ended up in Belgium and joined Hugo Broos' RWDM and stayed for three years. He then had a couple of seasons at French third tier with Louhans-Cuiseaux,[2] before returning to Belgium and finish his career at Olympic Charleroi, for whom he played 51 matches.[3]

International

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He made his debut for Albania in a September 1988 friendly match away to Romania and earned a total of 7 caps, scoring 1 goal. His final international was a September 1993 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Spain.[4]

Managerial career

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Kepa was appointed coach of reformed RWDM47 in 2007.[5] In 2009 he took charge of the Ganshoren reserves team.[6]

References

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  1. ^ UN REFUGIE ALBANAIS A LA RESCOUSSE DU RWDM:ILIR KEPA A L'AUBERGE DU BON REFUGE - Le Soir (in French)
  2. ^ Louhans-Cuiseaux - RCS 3-4 - RacingStub (in French)
  3. ^ Une longue tradition : Olympic – RWDM - Olympic Charleroi (in French)
  4. ^ "Ilir Kepa - national football team player". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  5. ^ Rendez-vous déjà capital pour Ilir Kepa - DH (in French)
  6. ^ Ilir Kepa à Ganshoren - DH (in French)
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