Fifi Baiden
{{Short description|Ghanaian footballer (born 1991)}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Fifi Baiden
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| full_name = Kingsley Mensah Baiden
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|11|11}}
| birth_place = Ajumako, Ghana
| height = 5 ft 7 in
| position = Midfielder
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Right to Dream Academy
| youthyears2 = 2007–2010
| youthclubs2 = Dunn School
| collegeyears1 = 2010–2013
| college1 = UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
| collegecaps1 = 76
| collegegoals1 = 2
| years1 = 2014
| clubs1 = Columbus Crew
| caps1 = 1
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2014
| clubs2 = → Dayton Dutch Lions (loan)
| caps2 = 2
| goals2 = 0
| totalcaps = 3
| totalgoals = 0
}}
Kingsley Mensah "Fifi" Baiden (born November 11, 1991) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer.
Early life and education
Baiden was born November 11, 1991, in Ajumako, Ghana.{{Cite web |url=http://www.soccernewsday.com/usa/a/1953/the-determination-of-blackstar-kingsley-baiden- |title=The Determination of BlackStar Kingsley Baiden |last=Farrow |first=Austin |date=September 19, 2014 |website=www.SoccerNewsDay.com |accessdate=March 14, 2016}} He was a member of Ghana-based Right to Dream Academy, which he joined around the age of 10.{{Cite news |last=Ochoa |first=Paul-Michael |date=November 13, 2013 |title=Fifi Baiden: Ghana Born, Gaucho Bred |newspaper=Daily Nexus |location=Santa Barbara, California }} To help his family financially, Baiden would sell kerosene amongst other odd jobs.{{Cite web |url=http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3883/features/2014/02/03/4591587/from-kerosene-seller-to-the-mls-the-story-of-fifi-baiden |title=From Kerosene seller to the MLS: The story of Fifi Baiden |last=Kwaw |first=Erasmus |date=February 3, 2014 |website=www.Goal.com |accessdate=March 14, 2016}} He describes his early life:
{{Blockquote|text=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.|author=Fifi Baiden}}
He earned a scholarship to Dunn School in Los Olivos, California for Fall 2007. 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.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-soccer/2013-14/bios/baiden_fifi_voey |title=Fifi Baiden: Santa Barbara Athletics |website=UC Santa Barbara Gauchos |accessdate=March 14, 2016}}
Playing career
In January 2014, Baiden was drafted in the 3rd round (42nd overall) of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by the Columbus Crew.{{Cite news |last=Ochoa |first=Paul-Michael |date=January 22, 2014 |title=Two Gauchos Selected in MLS SuperDraft |url=http://dailynexus.com/2014-01-22/two-gauchos-selected-in-mls-superdraft/ |newspaper=Daily Nexus |location=Santa Barbara, California |accessdate=March 14, 2016}} He became the second Right to Dream Academy member to be drafted into MLS after former Dunn School and UCSB teammate Michael Tetteh. After playing for them in preseason, he was officially signed in February 2014.{{Cite news |last=Jardy |first=Adam |date=February 12, 2014 |title=Baiden Reportedly Signs |url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/covering-the-crew/2014/02/baiden.html |newspaper=The Columbus Dispatch |location=Columbus, Ohio |accessdate=March 14, 2016}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.massivereport.com/2014/2/14/5413442/crew-add-ben-sweat-and-fifi-baiden-to-roster |title=Crew add Ben Sweat and Fifi Baiden to roster |last=Guldan |first=Patrick |date=February 14, 2014 |website=www.MassiveReport.com |accessdate=March 14, 2016}}
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.{{Cite web |url=http://ddlfc.com/2014/03/30/dayton-dutch-lions-fall-on-the-road/ |title=Dayton Dutch Lions Fall on the Road |last=van Druenen |first=Sid |author-link=Sid van Druenen |date=March 30, 2014 |website=Dayton Dutch Lions |accessdate=March 14, 2016}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/post/2014/03/31/red-bulls-reserves-earn-3-0-win-over-dayton-dutch-lions |title=Red Bulls Reserves Earn 3-0 Win Over Dayton Dutch Lions |last=Efrus |first=Richard |date=March 31, 2014 |website=New York Red Bulls |accessdate=March 14, 2016}}
Baiden would return to make one appearance for the Columbus Crew on May 31, 2014.{{Cite web |url=http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2014-05-31-toronto-fc-vs-columbus-crew-sc/boxscore |title=Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew |date=May 31, 2014 |website=Major League Soccer |accessdate=March 14, 2016}} In July 2014, he was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list due to a torn acetabular labrum.{{Cite news |date=July 18, 2014 |title=Crew will be without injured Williams, Baiden |newspaper=USA Today |location=Tysons Corner, Virginia }} Baiden was waived at the conclusion of the season.{{Cite news |last=Jardy |first=Adam |date=November 18, 2014 |title=Crew Declines Options On Seven Players |url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/covering-the-crew/2014/11/cuts.html |newspaper=The Columbus Dispatch |location=Columbus, Ohio |accessdate=March 14, 2016}}
Post-playing career
Baiden was named as a volunteer assistant coach with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team in August 2015.{{Cite web |url=http://presidiosports.com/2015/08/gauchos-add-obrien-baiden-to-staff/ |title=Gauchos add O'Brien, Baiden to staff |date=August 26, 2015 |website=PresidioSports.com |accessdate=March 14, 2016}} 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.{{Cite web |url=https://fifisoccer.com/ |title=Welcome |website=fifisoccer.com |access-date=October 23, 2024}}
He currently coaches multiple teams with Santa Barbara Soccer Club.{{Cite web |url=https://santabarbarasc.org/coaching-staff/ |title=Coaching Staff |website=santabarbarasc.org |access-date=October 23, 2024}} He is a project manager with Public Works Alliance.{{Cite web |url=https://publicworksalliance.org/about |title=Our Team |website=publicworksalliance.org |access-date=October 23, 2024}}
Personal life
Baiden was named a Humanitarian Ambassador for MAP International in August 2014 for his efforts in the 2014 West African Ebola virus epidemic.{{Cite web |url=http://www.map.org/content/press-releases/992/columbus-crew-member-kingsley-fifi-baiden-named-humanitarian-ambassador-for-map-international |title=Columbus Crew Member, Kingsley "Fifi" Baiden Named Humanitarian Ambassador for MAP International |date=August 29, 2014 |website=www.map.org |accessdate=March 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219030529/http://www.map.org/content/press-releases/992/columbus-crew-member-kingsley-fifi-baiden-named-humanitarian-ambassador-for-map-international |archive-date=2015-12-19 |url-status=dead }}
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- The Hope You Can Have, {{ISBN|9781925935660}}
External links
- {{MLS player|fifi-baiden}}
- [http://www.columbuscrewsc.com/players/kingsley-fifi-baiden Columbus Crew player profile]
- {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812224141/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/65672455/20204291-65672522/59733447.html |date=August 12, 2014 |title=USL PRO player profile }}
- [http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-soccer/2013-14/bios/baiden_fifi_voey UC Santa Barbara player profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160325010825/http://righttodream.com/map-location/fifi-kingsley-baiden/ Right to Dream Academy player profile]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baiden, Fifi}}
Category:Ghanaian men's footballers
Category:Ghanaian expatriate men's footballers
Category:UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer players
Category:Columbus Crew players
Category:Dayton Dutch Lions players
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Category:Columbus Crew draft picks
Category:Sportspeople from Central Region (Ghana)
Category:USL Championship players