Taribo West

Taribo West Biography / Profile

Taribo West was born on March 26th, 1974 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. He is a retired Nigerian professional footballer and is regarded as perhaps the most successful Nigerian centre-back in history. At the height of his career, he was regarded as one of the best defenders in Europe and was a key member of the Inter Milan squad between 1997 and 1999 and was also part of the victorious Olympic gold winning dream team side in 1996. He is best remembered for his various unusual and colourful hairstyles.

Taribo West Age

Taribo West is 50 years old.

Taribo West Early Life

West schooled at an afternoon school, St Andrew’s Elementary School, Diobu. He did this as he regularly helped his mother who was selling akara, garri, and beans. West was discovered by Monday Sinclair, who recruited him to play for Sharks of Port Harcourt (now Rivers United). He started playing professionally with Obanta United in 1989, before returning to Sharks in 1990. West then played for Enugu Rangers in 1991, before joining Julius Berger in 1992.

Taribo West Career

Following successful trials in early 1993, he joined French side Auxerre led by Guy Roux. He was on the bench during a 2–2 UEFA Cup draw against Tenerife on 15 September 1993, but failed to make his debut. West eventually played his first competitive game for the club in a 0–0 away league draw at Toulouse on 5 March 1994. He became a first team regular in the following season, making 31 appearances in all competitions. In the 1995/1996 season, West helped Auxerre win their first league title in the club's history, alongside such players as Laurent Blanc and Sabri Lamouchi, among others. They also won the national cup, thus collecting the double. He subsequently made seven appearances in the 1996/1997 UEFA Champions League, as the club was eliminated in the quarter-finals by the eventual champions Borussia Dortmund. In June 1997, West was transferred to Italian side Internazionale, on a four-year deal. He made his competitive debut for the club in a 1–0 Coppa Italia victory over Foggia on 3 September 1997. Subsequently, West scored his first goal for Internazionale in a 2–1 Serie A win against Atalanta on 9 November 1997. In the 2000 winter transfer window, he switched to Internazionale's crosstown rivals Milan. He made his debut for the club on 24 March 2000, coming on as an injury time substitute for Andriy Shevchenko in 2–0 win over Juventus. On 14 May 2000, West managed to score his only goal for Milan in a 4–0 victory over Udinese.

In November 2000, West moved to English club Derby County, on an initial three-month loan. He joined German club FC Kaiserslautern on a free transfer in November 2001. He made a total of 10 league appearances in the 2001/2002 season. In August 2002, West trained with English side Manchester City for 10 days. He eventually failed to get a contract due to lack of fitness.

On 24 January 2003, it was announced that West will join the reigning FR Yugoslavia champions Partizan. He arrived in Belgrade for the final negotiations with the club five days later. On 30 January 2003, West signed an 18-month contract with Partizan. In August 2004, West signed a one-year contract with Qatari club Al-Arabi. He scored his only goal for the club in a 1–1 league draw away at Al-Wakrah on 4 November 2004. West subsequently returned to England, penning a one-year deal with Plymouth Argyle in July 2005. In February 2008, West reportedly claimed to be joining Segunda División club Xerez, but the club's president denied any knowledge of his arrival.

West was a member of the Flying Eagles at the 1993 African Youth Championship. He then went on to earn 42 full international caps for Nigeria, making his debut in a 1–3 loss to Sweden on 5 May 1994. West was also a member of the Olympic squad that won the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He played every single minute of the tournament. Two years later, West was named in the 22-man squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The team reached the second stage of the tournament, being eliminated by Denmark in the round of 16. In the 2000 African Cup of Nations, West played the full 90 minutes in all of Nigeria's games in the competition, as they finished runners-up to Cameroon. He also represented his country in the tournament's 2002 edition, finishing in third place. Additionally, West was a member of the team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He made two appearances in the "Group of Death", as Nigeria finished bottom of the table, behind Sweden, England and Argentina. After the tournament, Nigeria coach Festus Onigbinde blamed West for the team's failure, stating that the player "flouted' his instructions. In January 2004, West suffered an injury during the team's training session that ruled him out of the African Cup of Nations. He returned to the national team on 17 August 2005, making his final appearance for the Super Eagles in a friendly against Libya.

In 2010, it was reported that West and other Nigerian internationals, such as Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Obafemi Martins, were at least seven years older than they claimed. In April 2013, Žarko Ze?evi?, former general secretary of Partizan, said that West is 12 years older than his claimed age, an accusation West denied.

In November 2017, the Nigerian Football Federation appointed the former Super Eagles player as the Vice Chairman of the Technical Study Group of the Federation.

Taribo West Personal Life

In 2002, West ended his marriage with his wife, Atinuke, a relationship that lasted only three weeks. In December 2013, he lost his 90 years old mother, Wakaji Batubo West.

West started a church in 2014 which he called Shelter In The Storm Miracle Church of All Nations located around Opebi, Ikeja area of Lagos. In 2015, the ex-footballer revealed that during his football career days he used "juju" (charms) to play on the field.