Sidiki Cherif

Sidiki Cherif
Personal information
Full name Sidiki Chérif[1]
Date of birth (2006-12-15) 15 December 2006
Place of birth Conakry, Guinea
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position Striker
Team information
Current team
 Fenerbahçe
(on loan from Angers)
Number 26
Youth career
2013–2018 Bayard-Saumur
2018–2019 Olympique Saumur
2019–2023 Angers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023–2024 Angers II 12 (2)
2023– Angers 33 (4)
2026– → Fenerbahçe (loan) 7 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 March 2026

Sidiki Cherif (born 15 December 2006) is a Guinean professional footballer who plays as a striker for Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe, on loan from Ligue 1 club Angers.

Club career

Angers

Born in Conakry[2], Cherif arrived in France at the age of 5.[3] He is a youth product of Bayard Saumur, Olympique Saumur and Angers,[3] where he impressed with the under-19.[1][4]

In July 2023, he signed his first professional contract with Angers.[3][5] Cherif made his professional debut with Angers in a 1–0 Ligue 2 away loss to Laval on 9 January 2024 at the age of 16 years and 7 months.[6][7]

On 18 August 2024, he made his Ligue 1 debut as a starter against Lens in a 1–0 home loss.[8] On 18 October 2025, he scored his first professional goal against Monaco in a 1–1 Ligue 1 match.[9] Although his progress was temporarily hindered by recurring injuries—including a thigh operation in late 2024 followed by a relapse in early 2025—he successfully established himself as a starter during the 2025–2026 Ligue 1 season. Operating as a powerful left-winger, he recorded four goals in 19 appearances during the first half of the season, scoring against major clubs such as Monaco, Marseille, and Nantes.[10]

Fenerbahçe

On 1 February 2026, Chérif finalized a move to Fenerbahçe in a deal valued at approximately €25 million, equaling Angers SCO's record transfer fee established by the 2019 sale of Jeff Reine-Adélaïde. The agreement consists of an initial €4 million loan fee, an €18 million mandatory purchase obligation effective in the summer of 2026, and €3 million in bonuses.[10] The forward has signed a contract keeping him at the club until 2030.[11]

On 9 February 2026, he made his debut in a 3–1 Süper Lig home victory against Gençlerbirliği.[12] On February 19, he made his continental debut in his professional career in UEFA Europa League match against Nottingham Forest.[13]

On 1 March 2026, he scored his first goal for the team in 2–2 Süper Lig away match against Antalyaspor.[14] On March 4, three days after his first goal with the team, he scored again in his Turkish Cup debut against Gaziantep FK in 4–0 away victory.[15] He scored the winning goal in the 90+5th minute on March 8th, securing a 3-2 Süper Lig victory for Fenerbahçe against Samsunspor, was selected by L'Equipe for their Team of the Week, composed of French footballers playing abroad.[16]

International career

Born in Guinea, Cherif was called to the France under-16 team during the 2021–22 season,[1][17][18] but he did not play in either match.

Cherif’s successful start to his Fenerbahçe career caught the attention of France under-21 team coach Gérald Baticle, and he was called up to the squad for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying group matches against Luxembourg under-21 team and Iceland under-21 team, on 19 March 2026.[19]

Career statistics

As of matches played 17 March 2026[20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Angers II 2023–24 National 2 12 2 2[b] 0 — 3[c] 2 17 4
2024–25 National 3 0 0 0 0 — 1[c] 0 1 0
Total 12 2 2 0 0 0 4 2 18 4
Angers 2023–24 Ligue 2 7 0 2 0 — — 9 0
2024–25 Ligue 1 7 0 0 0 — — 7 0
2025–26 Ligue 1 19 4 1 0 — — 20 4
Total 33 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 36 4
Fenerbahçe (loan) 2025–26 Süper Lig 7 2 1 1 2[d] 0 — 10 3
Career total 52 8 6 1 2 0 4 2 64 11
  1. ^ Includes Coupe de France, Turkish Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in Coupe Gambardella
  3. ^ a b Appearances in National U19 - Grp. C
  4. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

References

  1. ^ a b c "Angers : le précoce Sidiki Chérif attire les regards". Foot Mercato (in French). 8 October 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Profil de Sidiki Cherif à Angers SCO (officiel)". Angers-sco.fr (in French). Angers SCO. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b c "Un attaquant de 16 ans signe professionnel au SCO (officiel)". MadeinFoot.com (in French). Ouest-France. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Angers : le talent du jeune Cherif Sidiki ne passe pas inaperçu". Foot National (in French). 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  5. ^ Bonamy, Raphaël (27 July 2023). "Ligue 2 - Angers Sco. Sidiki Chérif signe son premier contrat professionnel". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Angers Sco. Propulsés en Ligue 2 à 16 ans, Courcoul et Sidiki entrent dans l'histoire du club ". maville (in French). Ouest-France. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Olivier Frapolli : " Quand j'amène ma fille à l'école, je vois des gamins avec le maillot de Laval "". So Foot (in French). 26 September 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Angers 0–1 Lens". ESPN. 18 August 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  9. ^ "Angers 1–1 Monaco". ESPN. 18 October 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  10. ^ a b "Sidiki Chérif part à Fernerbahçe pour 25 millions d'euros : la folle trajectoire de la pépite d'Angers Sco". Ouest France (in French). 1 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  11. ^ "Ailemize hoş geldin Sidiki Cherif". Fenerbahce S.K. (in Turkish). 1 February 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Fenerbahçe 3-1 N.D. Gençlerbirliği". Fenerbahçe S.K. (in Turkish). 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Fenerbahçe 0-3 Nottingham Forest". Fenerbahçe S.K. (in Turkish). 19 February 2026. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  14. ^ "H. Antalyaspor 2-2 Fenerbahçe". Fenerbahçe S.K. (in Turkish). 1 March 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  15. ^ "Fenerbahçemiz, Ziraat Türkiye Kupası'nda çeyrek finalde". Fenerbahçe S.K. (in Turkish). 4 March 2026. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  16. ^ "L'équipe type des Français du week-end". L'Equipe (in French). 8 March 2026. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  17. ^ "Equipe de France : la liste des convoqués pour le stage à Clairefontaine". Foot National (in French). 29 November 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  18. ^ "France U16 : la première liste de l'année 2022 de Vannuchi dévoilée !". Foot National (in French). 25 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  19. ^ "La liste de Gérald Baticle". FFF (in French). 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  20. ^ Sidiki Cherif at Soccerway
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