Kingsley Mensah "Fifi" Baiden (born November 11, 1991) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who is currently a coach with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team.

Early life and education

Baiden was born November 11, 1991, in

Ajumako Ajumako is a town in Ghana. It is the capital of Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam district. It is famous for being the birthplace of Ottobah Cugoano, an abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Wes ...

, Ghana. He was a member of Ghana-based Right to Dream Academy, which he joined around the age of 10. To help his family financially, Baiden would sell kerosene amongst other odd jobs. He describes his early life: 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.

Playing career

In January 2014, Baiden was drafted in the 3rd round (42nd overall) of the

2014 MLS SuperDraft The 2014 MLS SuperDraft was the fifteenth MLS SuperDraft, SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. The first two rounds of the four round draft took place on January 16, 2014, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Philadelphia Convention Center ...

by the Columbus Crew. He became the second Right to Dream Academy member to be drafted into MLS after former Dunn School and UCSB teammate

Michael Tetteh Michael Osakonor Tetteh (born 16 January 1989) is a former Ghanaian footballer. Playing career Youth and college Tetteh spent his youth career with Right to Dream Academy for six years and the Santa Barbara Soccer Club for three years befo ...

. After playing for them in preseason, he was officially signed in February 2014. 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. Baiden would return to make one appearance for the Columbus Crew on May 31, 2014. In July 2014, he was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list due to a torn

acetabular labrum The acetabular labrum (glenoidal labrum of the hip joint or cotyloid ligament in older texts) is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the acetabulum of the hip. The anterior portion is most vulnerable when the labrum tears. It provides an articulat ...

. Baiden was waived at the conclusion of the season.

Coaching career

Baiden was named as a volunteer assistant coach with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team in August 2015.

Personal life

Baiden was named as a Humanitarian Ambassador for

MAP International MAP International is a Christian nonprofit organization based out of Brunswick, Georgia. Their mission is to provide medicines and health supplies to those in need around the world so they might experience life to the fullest. MAP serves all people ...

in August 2014 for his efforts in the 2014 West African Ebola virus epidemic.

References

External links

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Columbus Crew player profile
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UC Santa Barbara player profile

Right to Dream Academy player profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baiden, Fifi 1991 births Living people Ghanaian men's footballers Ghanaian expatriate men's footballers UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer players Columbus Crew players Dayton Dutch Lions players Men's association football midfielders Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Columbus Crew draft picks People from Central Region (Ghana) USL Championship players Major League Soccer players