Born in Dakar, Senegal, Thiaw moved to Lexington, Kentucky as a 15-year-old where he attended Bryan Station High School and after graduation attended Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, where he played OCCAC soccer for two seasons and scored 41 goals in 34 appearances.
[2] Thiaw transferred to the University of Louisville in 2016 and played for the Cardinals for two seasons, scoring 20 goals in 41 appearances.
[4] He was officially signed by the club on March 1, 2018, and immediately sent on loan to San Jose's USL affiliate Reno 1868 FC, alongside fellow SuperDraft pick Danny Musovski.
[5] Thiaw made his first professional appearance on March 24, 2018, as a 77th minute substitution for Brian Brown during Reno's 1–1 draw with Las Vegas Lights FC.
[7] In March 2021, Thiaw joined Metro Louisville FC of the Premier Arena Soccer League ahead of the 2020–21 National Tournament.