Cheikhou Niang, a 19-year-old Dakar, Senegal native, joins DCFC on loan from FC Cincinnati 2 for the remainder of the 2026 season.
Niang joins Detroit City after signing an MLS NEXT Pro contract with FC Cincinnati 2 in April 2026, scoring six goals in 977 minutes of play so far this season. The 6-foot-6 forward arrived in Cincinnati following his development with Rise Academy in Thiès, Senegal, an institute centered on both sport and education.
After joining Rise Academy at age 14, Niang began with the academy’s U17 side, where he led the team in goals. He later represented the academy at its U20 and Elite levels, recording 16 goals and seven assists before earning a place with Université Club de Thiès (UTC), the academy’s top side.
The Senegalese international has also represented his country in U20 camps and trained with French Ligue 1 club Stade Brestois 29.
Niang will add size, physicality and finishing ability to Detroit City FC’s attacking group as Le Rouge enters the final stretch of the 2026 campaign.
