BBC Sport Online: Football: Africa

Keita Jr signs long term deal

Keita, who is a nephew of Mali's football legend Salif Keita, played for Lorient last season, where he was on loan from Olympique de Marseille.

The 21-year-old striker helped Lorient to gain promotion to the top division last month, after finishing as runners-up in the second division.

Lorient's chairman, Andre Jegouzo, said the deal to bring Keita to the club was signed on Friday, but did not disclose any financial details.

"Seydou has impressed us a lot in just a few months," said the departing Lorient coach, Christian Gourcuff. He went on: "Although he's only 21, he can sometimes be a bit unsteady, and that's normal. But his technical skills are reflecting on the rest of the team."

Keita was signed by French giants Marseille in 1997, after just one training session, following a tip from his famous uncle.