A. Centore

Cheick Oumar Konaté broke into Clermont Foot's first team during the 2023-2024 season, taking the number 29 shirt and establishing himself as a regular starter in Ligue 1 while still only nineteen years old. For a young defender, that kind of consistent playing time at the top level of French football marked him out early.

Konaté operates primarily as a right-back, though he has also featured as a central defender, giving Clermont's coaching staff flexibility across the back line. That versatility likely played a part in keeping him in the side through a difficult period for the club.

Clermont were relegated to Ligue 2 at the end of that campaign, and rather than leaving with the club's Ligue 1 status, Konaté stayed on for the 2024-2025 season, continuing to feature as the team adjusted to life in the second division. Staying through a relegation, rather than moving on, says something about the trust the club placed in him and his own commitment to the project at Clermont.

Born in Mali, Konaté carries Malian nationality alongside his football career in France, the kind of dual footing common to many players who come through European academies and clubs while retaining ties to their country of birth.