Taribo West
Encyclopedia
Taribo West is a retired Nigeria
n professional footballer who played as a defender
. West represented the Nigerian national team
in the 1998
and 2002
World Cups
. He is known for the various unusual and colourful hairstyles that he has sported over the years.
in January 1993 spending four and half years at Auxerre
. He was part of a successful team that won the league championship and two French Cups.
Clearly the exposure helped Taribo, as he moved on to Internazionale
, where he played a vital role in capturing the UEFA Cup
title in 1998.
Taribo found himself at the centre of heated transfer speculation at the end of the 1998–99 season following clashes with former Internazionale coach, Mircea Lucescu
. Once Marcello Lippi
took over the club, it became apparent that Taribo had to move on. After many months of talks with various clubs, including Newcastle United
, Liverpool
, Ajax and Juventus
, Taribo joined Inter's cross-town rivals, AC Milan
. He has helped them to secure a berth in next season's UEFA Champions League
.
Subsequently, West had unassuming brief spells with Derby County
and Kaiserslautern
.
Taribo was again playing the spotlight of Europe
when he was acquired by Partizan
from Serbia
. With Partizan, Taribo played a crucial role in defence under then manager Lothar Matthäus
and helped Partizan get to the UEFA Champions League group stage where they were drawn in a group with Real Madrid
, Porto and Olympique de Marseille
.
After that, in early August 2004, he signed a one-year contract with Al-Arabi Sports Club.
On 5 July 2005, West was signed by then Championship
side Plymouth Argyle
, but only made 4 appearances and scored no goals.
In August 2005, Derby County fans sent shirts to West's hometown in Nigeria in a campaign backed by BBC Radio Derby
.
On 18 August 2007, West signed a one-year contract with Iran
ian club Paykan, but failed to make a start with the club, having his contract terminated by mutual consent only three months later.
It was widely believed that West had returned to football in February 2008, when he signed for the Spanish Segunda División
side Xerez CD
. However, it was revealed by the BBC three days later that the president of the club flatly refuted these allegations, leaving many puzzled as to why West made this bizarre claim.
and played in the 1998
and (all matches and minutes) and 2002 FIFA World Cup
(two appearances).
He was also a member of the Nigerian team that won the gold medal
at the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta, Georgia
.
|1993–94||rowspan="4"|Auxerre
||rowspan="4"|Division 1
||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|1994–95||23||0||2||0||5||0||30||0
|-
|1995–96||22||0||3||0||4||1||29||1
|-
|1996–97||27||1||3||0||7||0||37||1
|-
|1997–98||rowspan="2"|Internazionale
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
||23||1||4||0||8||1||35||2
|-
|1998–99||21||0||6||0||3||0||30||0
|-
|1999–00||Milan
||rowspan="1"|Serie A
||4||1||0||0||0||0||4||1
|-
|2000–01||Derby County
||Premier League||18||0||1||0||0||0||19||0
|-
|2001–02||Kaiserslautern
||Bundesliga
||10||0||2||0||0||0||12||0
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="2"|Partizan
||rowspan="2"|First League||11||1||0||0||0||0||11||1
|-
|2003–04||5||0||0||0||7||0||12||0
|-
|2004–05
||Al-Arabi||Qatari League||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005–06||Plymouth Argyle
||Championship
||4||0||0||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|2006–07||Julius Berger||Premier League||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08||Paykan||Iranian League||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
73||1||8||0||16||1||97||2
48||2||10||0||11||1||69||3
22||0||1||0||0||0||23||0
10||0||2|||0||0||0||12||0
16||1||0||0||7||0||23||1
||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||
0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
169||4||21||0||34||2||224||6
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n professional footballer who played as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. West represented the Nigerian national team
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
in the 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. He is known for the various unusual and colourful hairstyles that he has sported over the years.
Club career
Taribo moved to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in January 1993 spending four and half years at Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
. He was part of a successful team that won the league championship and two French Cups.
Clearly the exposure helped Taribo, as he moved on to Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, where he played a vital role in capturing the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
title in 1998.
Taribo found himself at the centre of heated transfer speculation at the end of the 1998–99 season following clashes with former Internazionale coach, Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu is a Romanian former football player and current coach, and one of the most successful Romanian football managers. He is also the father of Rapid Bucharest coach, Răzvan Lucescu...
. Once Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
took over the club, it became apparent that Taribo had to move on. After many months of talks with various clubs, including Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Ajax and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, Taribo joined Inter's cross-town rivals, AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. He has helped them to secure a berth in next season's UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
Subsequently, West had unassuming brief spells with Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
.
Taribo was again playing the spotlight of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
when he was acquired by Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
from Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. With Partizan, Taribo played a crucial role in defence under then manager Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Herbert Matthäus , is a German football manager and former player.In 1990, he was named European Footballer of the Year and World Soccer Player of the Year after captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup...
and helped Partizan get to the UEFA Champions League group stage where they were drawn in a group with Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, Porto and Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
.
After that, in early August 2004, he signed a one-year contract with Al-Arabi Sports Club.
On 5 July 2005, West was signed by then Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, but only made 4 appearances and scored no goals.
In August 2005, Derby County fans sent shirts to West's hometown in Nigeria in a campaign backed by BBC Radio Derby
BBC Radio Derby
BBC Radio Derby is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Derbyshire, covering all but the northern tip of the county, and also serves eastern Staffordshire, mainly Uttoxeter and Burton upon Trent. The station broadcasts from its studios in Derby on 104.5, 95.3 and 96.0 FM and 1116...
.
On 18 August 2007, West signed a one-year contract with Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian club Paykan, but failed to make a start with the club, having his contract terminated by mutual consent only three months later.
It was widely believed that West had returned to football in February 2008, when he signed for the Spanish Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
side Xerez CD
Xerez CD
Xerez Club Deportivo, S.A.D., usually just Xerez, is a Spanish football team based in Jerez de la Frontera, Province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia...
. However, it was revealed by the BBC three days later that the president of the club flatly refuted these allegations, leaving many puzzled as to why West made this bizarre claim.
International career
He has been capped 41 times by the Nigerian national teamNigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
and played in the 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and (all matches and minutes) and 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
(two appearances).
He was also a member of the Nigerian team that won the gold medal
Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....
at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Career statistics
|-|1993–94||rowspan="4"|Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
||rowspan="4"|Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|1994–95||23||0||2||0||5||0||30||0
|-
|1995–96||22||0||3||0||4||1||29||1
|-
|1996–97||27||1||3||0||7||0||37||1
|-
|1997–98||rowspan="2"|Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||23||1||4||0||8||1||35||2
|-
|1998–99||21||0||6||0||3||0||30||0
|-
|1999–00||Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
||rowspan="1"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||4||1||0||0||0||0||4||1
|-
|2000–01||Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
||Premier League||18||0||1||0||0||0||19||0
|-
|2001–02||Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
||Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||10||0||2||0||0||0||12||0
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="2"|Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
||rowspan="2"|First League||11||1||0||0||0||0||11||1
|-
|2003–04||5||0||0||0||7||0||12||0
|-
|2004–05
Qatar Stars League 2004–05
-League standings:-References:*...
||Al-Arabi||Qatari League||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005–06||Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||4||0||0||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|2006–07||Julius Berger||Premier League||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08||Paykan||Iranian League||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
73||1||8||0||16||1||97||2
48||2||10||0||11||1||69||3
22||0||1||0||0||0||23||0
10||0||2|||0||0||0||12||0
16||1||0||0||7||0||23||1
||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||
0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
169||4||21||0||34||2||224||6
Club
- Auxerre
- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
: 1995–96 - Coupe de FranceCoupe de FranceThe Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
: 1994, 1996
- Ligue 1
- Internazionale
- UEFA Cup: 19981998 UEFA Cup FinalThe 1998 UEFA Cup Final was a football match played at Parc des Princes in Paris on 6 May 1998 between Internazionale and Lazio of Italy. Internazionale won the match 3–0. It was the first single-legged UEFA Cup final.-Match details:...
- UEFA Cup: 1998
- Partizan
- First League of Serbia and Montenegro: 2002–03
International
- Olympic GamesSummer Olympic GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
: 1996Football at the 1996 Summer OlympicsThe association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....
Other
There is an amateur football club in Nigeria called 'Taribo West FC', presumably named in honour of West himself.External links
- Taribo West at National-Football-Teams.com
- AJ Auxerre profile