Cheick Keita (born 2 April 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Belgian Pro League club Charleroi. Born in France, he plays for the Mali national team.
Keita began his senior career in Italy with Virtus Entella before joining English second-tier club Birmingham City in January 2017. He spent the 2017–18 Serie A season on loan to Bologna and the following season on loan to Belgian First Division A club Eupen, and was released by Birmingham at the end of the 2019–20 season. He joined Gorica in February 2021.
Born in France, Keita represented Mali at under-20 level and has been an unused substitute for the senior team.
Early and personal life Of Malian descent, Keita was born in 1996 in Paris, where he grew up in the Cité rouge area of the 19th arrondissement. A childhood friend, Mohamed Sylla, who became a rapper under the name of MHD, made reference to Keita in his song "Afro Trap Pt. 3 (Champions League)"; as of September 2021, its YouTube video had received more than 120 million views. Keita played football for a local youth team, FC Solitaires, before joining Paris FC. He was selected to attend INF Clairefontaine, and spent three years in Monaco's youth system before being released.
