The revelation about Taribo West lying about his age has sparked debate in the Nigerian football community. The former Nigerian international, known for his distinctive green and multi-colored braids, allegedly misrepresented his age multiple times during his career.
According to the British newspaper Daily Mail, in 2002, when West moved from the English team Derby County to Serbia and Partizan Belgrade, he claimed to be 28 years old. However, the report suggests that he was likely closer to 40 years old at that time. Despite the discrepancy, the Serbian club signed him for two seasons, during which he contributed to winning a national championship title.
Zako Zecevic, the former president of Partizan, acknowledged the misinformation, stating, “He joined us saying he was 28 years old. We only found out later that he was 40 years old, but he still played so well that I don’t regret having him in the team.”
Taribo West had a career that spanned from 1992 when he started with Julius Berger’s club in Nigeria until his retirement in 2008 with Iran’s Paykan FC. He also had stints with clubs like Inter Milan in Italy. With 41 caps for the Super Eagles, West was part of the Nigerian team that won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. Despite the controversy surrounding his age, his contributions to Nigerian football are noteworthy.
