Sikou Niakaté was born in France on 10 July 1999, and is presently 26 years old. This Frenchman, who primarily operates as a central defender, currently plies his trade at SC Braga. Niakaté towers at 6ft 1in (1.86m) and tips the scales at 11st 13lb (76kg). This defender sports the number 4 jersey and has also had the honour of representing the Mali national team.
As cited by Transfermarkt, Niakaté's current market value is estimated to be around £6.5m.
Niakaté started to make a name for himself in the world of football back in July 2016 when he joined Valenciennes in France's Championnat National. Notably, during his debut season for Valenciennes (2016 -2017), Niakaté found himself included in for league matches on five separate occasions. His continued involvement only increased over the next seasons: 24 appearances in 2017 - 2018 and 14 in 2018 - 2019.
In a significant career move, Niakaté transferred from Valenciennes to Guingamp in France's Ligue 2 for a hefty sum of £2.3m in July 2019. This step upwards was mirrored in his performance: during his 2019 - 2020 season at Guingamp, Niakaté showed his versatility by not only making 23 appearances but also scoring one goal. He continuously demonstrated this form in the following 2020 - 2021 season with 31 appearances and another goal under his belt.
Continuing his journey through French football, Niakaté joined Metz in France's Ligue 1 on loan in August 2021. Despite the change of scene, his dedication remained consistent with 12 appearances during the 2021 - 2022 season.
Seeking fresher fields, Niakaté transitioned out of France to Portugal's SC Braga in July 2022. Serving his new team on loan, Niakaté made 26 appearances and scored three goals in his first season. Since then, his consistency within the team has been unwavering, with numerous appearances and goals regularly peppered across each season. As of the current 2025 - 2026 season, Niakaté has already made three appearances for SC Braga.
After his successful loan at Braga, Niakaté sealed a permanent move away from Guingamp in France's Ligue 2 to SC Braga in Portugal for a fee of around £1.5m in July 2023. He has continued to be a strong element of the team.
Away from club-level football, Niakaté has impressively shown up on the global stage. His involvement in the Champions League 2023 - 2024 with SC Braga led to him scoring a goal from five starts. Niakaté has also been involved in World Cup Qualifiers Africa 2024 - 2026 for Mali with seven starts. Additionally, he had a stint in Europa League 2023 - 2024 and 2025 - 2026 with SC Braga, with multiple starts to his name.
