Sikou Niakaté, born on 10 July 1999 and currently aged 26, is a French footballer who primarily operates as a central defender for SC Braga. Standing 6ft 1in tall (1.86m), he bears a solid build, weighing in at 11st 13lb (76kg). Niakaté proudly dons the number 4 jersey and has also worn the colours of the Mali national team.
According to Transfermarkt, Niakaté currently holds a market value of approximately £7m.
Niakaté began his senior career with Valenciennes in France's Championnat National in July 2016. Over the course of three seasons, he made 43 league appearances for Valenciennes. His debut season in 2016-2017 saw him featured five times, eventually rising to 24 appearances in the 2017-2018 season, and 14 in the 2018-2019 season.
In July 2019, Niakaté made the significant leap from Valenciennes to Guingamp, also in France, a move which saw a transfer fee of roughly £2.3m exchange hands. His time at Guingamp in Ligue 2 in France, witnessed a marked increase in his game time. Across two seasons, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, he made 54 league appearances and netted twice.
Niakaté was loaned out from Guingamp to Metz in France's top-tier Ligue 1 in August 2021. Here, he would make a dozen appearances in the top flight during the 2021-2022 season.
In July of 2022, yet another loan spell beckoned for Niakaté as he temporarily switched Guingamp for SC Braga, competing in Portugal's Liga. He scored three goals in 26 league appearances in the 2022-2023 season at SC Braga.
After a breakout season at Braga, the club sealed his transfer from Guingamp for a fee hovering around the £1.5m mark in July 2023. His subsequent seasons at SC Braga were marked by consistent appearances and a steady return of goals — 26 appearances and three goals in 2022-2023, 19 appearances in 2023-2024, and 24 appearances with a solitary goal scored in the 2024-2025 season.
Niakaté's presence on the pitch dipped significantly in the current 2025-2026 season, where he has yet to make a league appearance.
The 2023-2024 Champions League competition witnessed Niakaté in SC Braga colours scoring a goal in five starts. He also started in five matches in the World Cup Qualifiers Africa 2024-2026 for Mali, the Europa League 2023-2024 for SC Braga with two starts, and four starts in the Europa League Qualifiers 2025-2026 for SC Braga, where he also made one substitute appearance.
