Cheick Diabate came to Exeter City as a sixteen-year-old trainee from London. After making his debut in the EFL Trophy at seventeen he firmly established himself in the second half of 2021/22 as City won promotion and remained at St James' Park until joining Bradford City on loan in 2024. 

Cheick, a defender, was on Stevenage’s books when he was at school before switching to City as a trainee in 2018. In 2019/20 he had loans at Buckland Athletic and Tiverton Town before making his first-team debut against West Bromwich Albion under-21 in the EFL Trophy on 17 October 2020.

Cheick played in first-team friendlies in July 2021 before joining Southern League side Truro City on loan until January 2022. He was recalled before the Christmas fixtures and made his league debut at Sutton United on 1 January 2022. After playing in the intervening fixtures Cheick scored his first league goal at Walsall on 22 January 2022 and, by the end of the season as Exeter won promotion, had played eighteen league games culminating in him being named Exeter City Disabled Supporters Association Most Improved Player. 

Cheick signed a new two-year contract in June 2022 and continued to feature during 2022/23. Struggling to secure a place in City's defence during the first half of the following season, he made several appearances as a striker ahead of a more-settled second half of the season which led to him signing a contract extension through to the end of 2024/25. Yet, with the Grecians signing other players in his position over the summer, Cheick was soon out-of-favour - and having  played in a solitary League Cup game against Walsall early in 2024/25  - joined Bradford City on an extended loan shortly before the transfer deadline at the end of August 2024.