In summary, this article explores the full story of Cheick Doucoure. It chronicles the journey of a young boy who, at just ten years old, faced the challenges of adulthood. When Cheick’s father retired from his job at the Port of Abidjan, the family faced financial difficulties, as his mother’s food business couldn’t support their extended family.
Understanding the gravity of their situation, Cheick Doucoure had a heartfelt conversation with his father. He reassured him that his football talent would change their fortunes. True to his word, the boy from Bamako, who grew up in Abidjan, delivered on that promise and transformed the family’s future.
Already a Man at Age 10: Inside Cheick Doucoure’s Hidden History
Our Cheick Doucoure biography offers more than just a glimpse into his defensive midfield skills, which you can easily find on YouTube. Instead, we delve deeply into his early life, exploring how football became a part of his journey. We cover his childhood experiences, the influence of his parents, and his family background. Additionally, we discuss his origins, ethnicity, love life, siblings, personality, and lifestyle, providing a comprehensive view of who he is both on and off the pitch.
Preamble:
Cheick Doucoure’s life story starts with the key events of his early life, detailing his journey from Bamako, Mali, to becoming a local football champion. We’ll then cover how he got his chance to play in Europe and his initial success there.
We aim to spark your interest in Cheick Doucoure’s story. To get started, we’ll present a gallery showcasing the defensive midfielder’s early years and rise to prominence.
From his childhood in Bamako to his rise with Crystal Palace, Cheick Doucoure’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.
The Biography of Cheick Doucoure – From his incredible Early Boyhood years to the moment he became famous in England.
Everyone knows Cheick Doucoure for his long-range shots, passing, defending, tackling, and dribbling skills. The Bamako star has triumphed in making a name for himself abroad, despite the many challenges his family faced during his childhood.
Although his football talent is impressive, there’s a noticeable gap in knowledge about his life story. We’ve recognized that not many fans have explored a detailed biography of Cheick Doucoure. That’s why we’ve crafted an engaging account of his journey. So, without further delay, let’s dive into his story.
Cheick Doucoure Childhood Story:
For starters, in his Biography, he holds the nickname “Monsieur Propre.” This nickname has the English meaning “Mr Clean.”
The Baller got the name because of his football quality of being coherent and intelligible. Cheick Doucoure was born on the 8th day of January 2000 to Malian Parents in Bamako, the capital of Mali.
The Malian footballer hails from a polygamous family. On his Mother’s side, Cheick has only female siblings, meaning he is the only son of his Parents.
Together, the union between Cheick Doucoure’s Step Mum and his Dad produced two brothers and three sisters.
Now, let’s introduce you to one of Cheick Doucoure’s parents – his Dad, who laid his foundation.
Meet one of Cheick Doucoure’s Parents – his Father. Without him, Cheick would not fall in love with football.
Growing-Up:
Although he was born in Bamako (Mali’s capital), the footballer didn’t spend his childhood days there. Cheick Doucoure’s parents moved to Abidjan when he was a little child.
This city (the largest in Côte d’Ivoire) was where he grew up alongside his blood sisters and half-siblings (two brothers and three sisters).
Since his childhood, Cheick has maintained this personality – friendly, cheerful, gentle, and always smiling.
On this day, not many knew he would be a Premier League footballer. A smiling Doucouré takes a photo in front of his family home.
One of the very first gifts Cheick Doucoure’s parents gave him was a bicycle.
He wasn’t a kid who only needed access to free play and space but someone who found fun in moving his bicycle about in his family’s living room.
Behold the Crystal Palace star with his best-every childhood gift, a bicycle.
Research says early cycling boosts confidence in kids. As regards his toys, all he wanted was his bicycle.
Cheick Doucoure Early Life:
Now, let’s tell you about his first encounter with football. It happened when little Cheick was about a year old. His Dad bought him a football and threw the ball at him.
Through the act of chasing the ball, young Doucoure didn’t feel the need to crawl anymore. That love for football made him begin walking effectively for the first time.
The following night, after his Dad gifted him a ball, Cheick Doucoure began sleeping with the ball on his bed.
Living in Côte d’Ivoire was enjoyable for many soccer-bound kids who grew up in the late 2000s and after 2010. They all love the fact that the country’s footballers at that time dominated Africa and England.
For Doucouré, the love for Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, and Cheick Tiote gave him sweet childhood memories. However, one Ivorian Legend became his idol.
That retired soccer player was no other than Yaya Toure. Now, here is what Cheick thinks of the Ivorian Football Legend.
Cheick Doucoure Family Background:
The Malian professional footballer enjoyed the life of a kid who grew up in a middle-class Abidjan household.
Starting with Cheick Doucoure’s Dad, he worked at the Port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. On the other hand, Cheick Doucoure’s Mother is a businesswoman. She (similar to the mother of Ecuadorian footballer Gonzalo Plata) sold food to earn a living.
The Bamako-born footballer is a product of good parenting.
Cheick Doucoure didn’t spend his childhood with his two brothers from his stepmother. He didn’t really know them, as he was very young when they traveled to the United States.
From his Dad’s salary as a port worker and his mother’s profit from selling food, Cheick Doucoure’s parents sustained their family.
However, the cost of living became complicated when his Dad retired from working at the Port. We’ll tell you more of this as you progress with this Bio.
Cheick Doucoure Family Origin:
Regarding his identity, there is a general perception that the midfielder is African. However, going deeper into his roots shows he is West African with Malian nationality. Research has it that Cheick Doucoure’s family have Bamako origins.
Bamako is not just the capital but the largest city of Mali, with more than 1.8 million people. According to everyone’s good friend (Wikipedia), the name Bamako means “crocodile river.”
This photo portrays Cheick Doucoure’s Family origin.
Cheick Doucoure’s Ethnicity:
The Defensive Midfielder is part of the Mandinka People who are native to West Africa. Cheick Doucoure’s ethnicity falls under a group called “The Bambara people.”
This language setting makes up the largest ethnic group in Mali, about 36.5% of the country’s population. In fact, the Bambara people (to which the footballer belongs to) are among the most influential and powerful groups in Mali.
Cheick Doucoure Education:
The Malian-born Athlete attended primary school for six in Abidjan, where he spent his childhood. As revealed by the footballer, he enjoyed a great time during primary school. Cheick Doucoure’s school was right behind his family’s home.
Back then, he enjoyed skipping school to play football on nearby fields. Here is a rare photo of Cheick Doucoure alongside his parents and schoolmates.
This is Cheick Doucoure, alongside his parents and primary schoolmates.
Career Buildup:
Cheick Doucoure began playing football in Abidjan, and he, as a kid, compromised his education for the beautiful game. As earlier recalled, his school was right behind the house – which was also a stone’s throw from a football field.
Do you know why Cheick Doucoure decided he would be a professional footballer? It was because of his Dad’s financial issues.
When Cheick Doucoure’s father retired, life became hard for the entire family. Because of financial complications, the youngster could not proceed to secondary school.
With little money available to feed, Cheick Doucoure’s parents could not afford to pay his school fees. As young as he was, the youngster boldly met his Dad with his solution idea. According to Doucoure;
I understood my family situation very well and told my father that I was going to use my talent to devote myself to football – so I can save my family.
Did you know?… Cheick Doucoure was only ten years old when he made that bold decision. He further told his father not to worry about family challenges.
At that time, he already had massive football talent and was very optimistic about saving his family. That period marked the beginning of his sports journey, one that took him to Europe – 8 years later.
Cheick Doucoure Biography – Untold Football Story:
At first, he didn’t even believe he would rise so high to become a professional footballer. Cheick Doucoure was among the boys who spent hours watching the skills of Yaya Toure on TV.
It inspired him a lot and made Cheick Doucoure take the former Man City Legend as his example, whether in life or on the pitch.
A year before he walked up to his Dad for the speech about saving his family, Cheick had begun playing football locally. That year was 2009, a time he had just finished primary school. Cheick Doucoure’s father was responsible for immersing him in football.
Back then, his Dad supported the Ivorian team, ASEC Mimosas. An 8-year-old was a local football kid who began his journey by playing under a coach in his neighbourhood. This coach trained him and other boys under his wing, taking them to small tournaments.
Making Bold steps:
After his primary education, the brave boy began making big decisions that would go on to affect his life positively. For instance, the quest to become a professional footballer saw Cheick leave Abidjan, the city where he grew up. He moved to his home country (Mali), where he joined JMG Academy Bamako.
Back then, every football-bound child’s dream was to start with JMG Academy Bamako. Cheick was lucky enough to be accepted at the football school, which made him and other boys train three times a week.
This institution, which has its office in Bamako, has built a reputation for projecting young players into bigger clubs across the country and in Europe.
A view of the Jean-Marc Guillou Academy office, whose responsibility was to train Cheick Doucouré and other young footballers.
Doucouré developed into one of the greatest youth players produced at JMG. Some Football scouts that represented a Ghanaian club spotted him after he did well in a tournament Jean-Marc Guillou took part in.
Cheick Doucoure was called for trials, which he passed. Despite making the mark, little did he know the Ghanaian club would not take him.
Road to Fame Story:
In the footballer’s words,
I was told that I was a little tight, and that I had to come back later.
Cheick Doucoure agreed that he was under a lot of pressure at that time. But he promised himself that he was going to give everything in his power (with no regrets) to make it. Sometime later, he returned to take his chance at the Ghanaian academy.
As expected, Cheick passed. Rather than accepting him directly, he was advised to go through another Academy of Mali to do a final test. He (pictured below) decided to continue enjoying his football with JMG Academy Bamako to avoid going back and forth.
The Malian football (smiling profusely) appears to be a leader in his youth team.
After seven years of playing local football with JMG Academy Bamako, luck finally found him. At the age of 16, the Rising star joined a JMG partner team called Real de Bamako. This club gave Cheick Doucouré the opportunity to get into the country’s national youth team.
The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup:
This was the international tournament that projected Cheick Doucouré to several football scouts around the world. In that global competition, England’s Rhian Brewster became the top scorer with eight goals.
Again, a fast-rising Phil Foden was the best player. England achieved the crown of the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup ahead of Ferran Torres‘ Spain team. Cheick Doucouré, as seen here, helped Mali seal the fourth position.
After rising so high in his country’s football, he finally got the opportunity to feature in a European team.
Journey to Europe:
Frédéric Martin, the director of the Academy he played for, called him for a meeting after the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He told Cheick Doucoure about Eric Roy’s interest in him.
This person (Eric Roy) was the former manager of OGC Nice during the 2010–2011 season. Cheick’s boss (Frédéric Martin) and Eric Roy were good friends who once played together at Nice in the late 1990s.
Thanks to the above contact, Cheick Doucoure’s life changed forever. The young boy from Bamako found himself leaving his family behind for Europe. Rather than joining OGC Nice, the former JMG Academy star signed for RC Lens in the year 2018.
To the joy of Cheick Doucoure’s family, he received his first-ever call-up to the Mali national football team the same year he signed for RC Lens. What a Double blessing for the top African star.
After a year in the reserves of RC Lens, the Defensive midfielder got promoted to the RC Lens first team. He began his senior career life under the command of Philippe Montanier.
Doucoure operated mostly “in the shadows”, offering a defensive midfield platform upon which Seko Fofana needed to probe forward. Doucoure scored these great goals while at Lens.
The Road to Joining Crystal Palace:
Doucoure, alongside Seko Fofana and former Chelsea forward Gael Kakuta, became the most instrumental footballer in the club’s rise. In those years, RC Lens was a club with lofty ambitions.
The French giant pushed themselves back from Ligue 2 and into the upper echelons of Ligue 1 (which came sooner than expected). During his time with OGC Nice, Patrick Vieira was a great admirer of Cheick Doucouré.
Following the departure of Conor Gallagher (on loan) and Cheikhou Kouyaté, Palace needed a young player to fill up the space created by these footballers.
On 11 July 2022, Doucouré became the chosen one, as he signed a five-year contract with Crystal Palace (as revealed by the club’s official website).
Doucoure’s body language showed he was ready to play for Vieira right from the day of his unveiling at the London club. He told fans how he feels about joining a top club like Palace. As many Eagles fans said, he is truly a Great signing.
Doucouré is such an underrated player with so much potential. Truth be told, Crystal Palace is lucky to have one of the best Defensive Midfielder in the World.
Palace was absolutely glad to have secured one of Ligue One’s most accomplished young talents. The Lens Defensive midfielder is adventurous, but that may not make him find life easy in the world’s toughest league. Although, he has the potential to be an excellent fit in the Vieira system.
We believe Cheick Doucouré will do more than Cheikhou Kouyate, who left the club after his contract expired in 2022. The rest of Cheick Doucoure’s Bio is now history. Now, let’s give you interesting facts about the Midfielder’s love life.
Cheick Doucoure’s Patner:
Have you seen the wife-to-be of the Malian international footballer? We describe her as a peaceful person, a lady who would do anything for Cheick, including placing her life on hold to support his career ambition. Behold a rare picture of Cheick Doucoure’s Girlfriend, a lady he considers his wife to be.
Introducing Cheick Doucoure’s Girlfriend. The woman of enamoured beauty holds the key to the Malian’s heart.
As of 2022, the Malian long-range shooter has the utmost desire to start a beautiful family and have children with his Partner (above). Cheick Doucoure’s Girlfriend is also part of his management team.
She was among those persons who first accompanied him to London to see through his Crystal Palace deal. While in the city, Cheick Doucoure’s wife-to-be got the opportunity to meet Patrick Vieira in person.
Personal Life:
Who is Cheick Doucoure?
When you meet the Malian for the first time, you will sense someone who has zero pride. Cheick Doucouré is calm, respectful, humble, reserved, discreet and courageous.
Regarding Cheick Doucoure’s hobby, not many people know he likes to dance (similar to Roger Milla).
He even does it in front of others, especially in the locker room, etc. Cheick reveals dancing is innate to him, and as soon as he hears his kind of music, he can’t help it.
Workout routine:
Everyone expected Cheick to begin his club presentation activities on the very first day he arrived at Crystal Palace.
Instead, the Malian footballer did the opposite. Doucoure quickly began doing football fitness exercises. His first impression was greatly appreciated by the club staff.
Lifestyle:
The Malian midfielder once revealed he has a way of life that is very similar to Idol, Yaya Touré. Doucoure lives a healthy and simple lifestyle, one that is devoid of reckless spending or a public showcase of football wealth. From what it seems, the Malian Baller prefers to have short summer vacations.
What Cheick Doucoure’s Car:
It is a confirmed fact that the money he makes at Crystal Palace is capable of buying him fleets of automobiles. However, it appears Doucoure enjoys being given a ride – as revealed below. The Athlete, as of 2022, appears not to be keen on the public display of his wealth, which includes his car.
Cheick Doucoure Family Life:
Aside from his early European friends (like Kassim Sidibé, Christopher Boussemart, etc), the Malian relies on his family back in Africa to get the best of his confidence. This biographical section throws more light on members of his household, starting with the head.
About Cheick Doucoure’s Father:
Even to this day, his proud Dad remains a loyal fan of ASEC Mimosas Abidjan. Mr Doucoure fell in love with football as a sport through this club, and that love got transferred to Cheick, his son.
Cheick Doucoure’s Dad had seen his son’s future before he walked up to him to say his ambition. The boy who promised his Dad he would make it with football has realized his childhood dreams.
About Cheick Doucoure’s Mother:
To start with, she is a supportive woman who manages her home with integrity. Cheick Doucoure’s food business (in Abidjan) helped the family in great ways, especially when her husband retired from the port of Saga.
Research has it she is still yet to attend a live match to watch her son at stadiums abroad. Cheick Doucoure’s Mum would likely visit London to watch her son play with the Eagles.
About Cheick Doucoure’s Siblings:
The Malian footballer has two brothers and three sisters who are not from the same Mum. These siblings (including his blood sisters) are super proud of his achievements in football.
To date, they (from different mothers) remain his biggest fans. Judging that they travelled to the US quite early, Cheick Doucoure’s brothers (who are far older) should have already been established in the United States.
Untold Facts:
In the final section of Cheick Doucoure’s Bio, we’ll unveil more information about the £22m Crystal Palace man who ‘nobody can replace. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
Destiny made him play for two Eagles:
Not many of Mr Clean’s fans know that the Mali national football team bears the nickname “Eagles.”
In fact, destiny has brought Cheick Doucoure to play for Crystal Palace, a club that also bears “The Eagles” nickname. This is what the Powerful Athlete said about this destiny.
Cheick Doucoure Salary (Crystal Palace):
SOFIFA’s data reveals the former Lens product earned €20K per week at the club. Although Cheick Doucoure’s Crystal Palace wages aren’t public yet, sources in London reveal he makes around £50,000 per week. Marc Guehi and Michael Olise (before his departure to Bayern Munich) make around this amount with the club.
Cheick Doucoure Net Worth:
Judging from the yearly salary statistics above, the Maian makes more than a Billion West African CFA franc.
As of 2024, Cheick Doucoure Net Worth was approximately 5.5 million pounds. The major source of Mr Clean’s income comes from his earnings in football.
Comparing his earnings to the average Malian citizen:
Where Cheick Doucoure’s family comes from, the highest average salary is 1,470,000 XOF per month. Do you know?… it would take such an above-average person in Mali more than a lifetime (115 years) to make Doucoure’s monthly salary with Crystal Palace.
Cheick Doucoure Profile (FIFA):
Before joining Crystal Palace, there was a reason he was ranked among the top 5 midfielders in France.
Cheick Doucoure is just like Aurélien Tchouaméni and Franck Kessié, who lack nothing in their Defensive midfield departments. At age 21, Cheick’s stats on FIFA are above the 50-mark average except for penalties and Free-kick accuracy. A 78-point rating seems unfair for Doucoure.
As I write this Bio, the Defensive Midfielder has an underrated FIFA potential of 78. Cheick deserves more. He is a footballer with physical stature, a high defensive work rate, and a simple touch that will blend perfectly with his teammates.
Cheick Doucoure’s Religion:
Just like Nayef Aguerd, the Eagles star is a very religious Muslim.
Cheick Doucoure’s religion (Islam, as he puts it below) brings him a lot of positives in both his spiritual, career and personal life. In an interview, the former Lens Athlete once said,
I am a Muslim and very religious. Islam as a Religion brings me a lot of good.
Before a game, I ask Allah to help me play a very good game, and to protect me against injuries.
Is Cheick Doucoure related to Cheick Tioté?
The answer is No. The Malian professional footballer has no family ties with the late Ivorian footballer.
Cheick Doucoure’s brother or family relative is not Cheick Tioté. However, the late footballer is someone he respects a lot.
Is Cheick Doucoure related to Abdoulaye Doucouré?
No, he is not related by family ties to the French footballer.
Even though they share the same surname, Cheick Doucoure’s brother is not Abdoulaye Doucoure. Sharing a similar surname is something both footballers have in common.
EndNote:
Nicknamed “Mr Clean,” Cheick Doucoure was born to working-class parents in Bamako. His Father (now retired) once worked in Abidjan’s port.
On the other hand, Cheick Doucoure’s Mother is a businesswoman who once served as a food vendor. Cheick Doucoure’s family is polygamous in nature. The Power Baller has two male siblings (brothers) and three sisters from another mother.
Although born in Mali’s capital (Bamako), the West African footballer spent his childhood in the Ivorian city of Abidjan. Cheick Doucoure’s football originated at age one through his Dad’s efforts.
His Dad bought him a ball, and his love for it saw a boy who crawls begin to walk. As a little boy, he (just like Kylian Mbappe and many other footballers) formed the habit of sleeping with the soccer ball by his bed.
Cheick Doucoure attended a primary close in Abidjan, which is close to his home.
Back then, he would skip school to play soccer on nearby fields. Doucoure emulated the playing style of Yaya Toure, whom he considered his greatest soccer Idol.
At the age of 10, Cheick Doucoure’s parents began to struggle financially. It came at a time of his Dad’s retirement from work. Monies from his Mum’s business could not sustain the family, making his Dad worry.
Making decisions and career rise:
Young Cheick Doucoure felt bad to see his parents suffer, and he promised his Dad that his talent would help the family suffer no more.
From that day, the Malian Athlete began his quest to give himself an extraordinary commitment to his career.
The son of the food vendor had a solid career, starting with JMG Academy Bamako. In the year 2016, he enrolled with Real Bamako, an academy that raised his bar and gave him the platform to him to travel abroad.
At the age of 17, Cheick got a destiny call to represent his country at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The Bamako native did not disappoint as he helped Mali secure a fourth-place finish.
That achievement found him worthy in the eyes of scouts, and it led to his first journey to Europe. Doucouré achieved a meteoric rise with RC Lens before moving to Crystal Palace in June 2022.
Appreciation Note:
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Our team of passionate writers care about accuracy and fairness in our collective effort to deliver you African Football Stories.
Kindly let us know (via comments) if you notice anything that doesn’t look right while reading the Story of the Malian footballer.
We hope you will stay tuned for more related African Football Biographies from us. Surely, the stories of Mohamed Elneny, Victor Wanyama and Enock Mwepu would interest you.
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