Ilir Kepa


Ilir Kepa is an Albanian retired football striker who played for the Albania national team.

Playing career

Club

Kepa played for Vllaznia Shkodër but fled communist Albania on 30 March 1991 alongside six other internationals, when the left the national team's hotel in Paris right after the European Championship qualification match against France. 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, before returning to Belgium and finish his career at Olympic Charleroi, for whom he played 51 matches.

International

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.

Managerial career

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