TW
Olympic Gold Defender. Inter UEFA Cup Winner. Lagos Pastor. location_on Retired (Inter Milan era — 1997–1999 peak)

TARIBO
WEST

Centre-back #5 Nigerian flag Nigeria (Super Eagles) — retired 2005
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Age

52 yrs

Height

1.80m

Caps / Goals

42 / 1

Profile

Who is Taribo

Taribo West is a 1996 Olympic Gold Medallist, 1994 AFCON winner and one of only a handful of African defenders to have played for both Inter Milan and AC Milan in the same career. He spent a decade in European football at Auxerre, Inter, AC Milan, Derby County, Kaiserslautern and Partizan Belgrade. He played at two FIFA World Cups for Nigeria (1998, 2002) and is still remembered for the bright green dreadlocks he wore at France 1998. Since retirement in 2008 he has been a full-time ordained Christian pastor in Lagos, heading the Shelter in the Storm Ministries congregation.

Tactical DNA

West was Nigeria's hardest defender of the Super Eagles golden generation, a physical, aggressive, man-marking centre-back in a side of flair attackers. He was most effective against target strikers and set-piece threats, which is how he outplayed Spain's Fernando Hierro and Kiko in Nigeria's 3-2 group-stage win at France 1998. His Auxerre and Inter Milan seasons under Guy Roux and Luigi Simoni built his reputation as a low-risk, high-intensity stopper rather than a passer.

His 1997 transfer from Auxerre to Inter Milan made him one of the first Nigerian outfielders at a top-four Serie A club. At 23 he played alongside Ronaldo Nazário, Javier Zanetti and Diego Simeone in the Inter side that won the 1998 UEFA Cup. The cross-town switch to AC Milan in 1999 was the peak status moment of his career, though injuries limited his Rossoneri minutes.

Career Journey

history
Julius Berger / Sharks FC (Nigeria)
65 apps 2 goals

Lagos-based NPFL breakthrough with Julius Berger. Developed the aggressive, physical style that defined his European career. Called up to Nigeria U-20 and then senior Super Eagles squad at 19.

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Enugu Rangers (Nigeria)
11 apps 0 goals

Short loan spell before the European move. Played alongside fellow future-Super-Eagles players in the Enugu squad that reached the 1993 CAF Cup Winners' Cup final.

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Auxerre (France)
98 apps 3 goals £650k

Ligue 1 debut for Guy Roux's Auxerre. Won the 1995–96 French Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France double (playing alongside Laurent Blanc). Breakthrough season 1996–97 before the Inter Milan move.

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Inter Milan (Italy)
53 apps 1 goals 2 assists £5.2m

UEFA Cup winner 1997–98 — played 6 matches including the semi-final vs Spartak Moscow. Serie A regular alongside Ronaldo, Zanetti and Simeone. Coppa Italia runner-up 1999–2000.

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AC Milan (Italy)
18 apps 0 goals £1.8m

Cross-town switch under Alberto Zaccheroni, one of the few players to have crossed the Milan divide. Injury-affected single season, including two competitive Derby della Madonnina appearances.

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Derby County / Kaiserslautern / Partizan / Al-Arabi / Plymouth
118 apps 4 goals

Seven-club wind-down across five countries. Kaiserslautern Bundesliga 2000–01. Derby County Premier League 2000–01 cult figure. Serbian SuperLiga with Partizan 2004–05. Retired at 34 after a short Plymouth Argyle trial in 2008.

Current Season Stats

Live Data
Status
Retired
Since 2008
Career caps
42
Int'l goals
1
Olympic Gold
1
Atlanta 1996
AFCON titles
1
1994 (Tunisia)
World Cups
2
1998, 2002

military_techHonours

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Olympic Gold Medal

Atlanta 1996 — Nigeria

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AFCON Winner

Nigeria 1994 (Tunisia)

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UEFA Cup

Inter Milan 1997–98

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Ligue 1

Auxerre 1995–96

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Coupe de France

Auxerre 1995–96

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AFCON Runner-up

1998 (Burkina Faso), 2000 (Nigeria co-hosts)

flagWith Nigeria (Super Eagles) — retired 2005

42
Caps
1
Goals
1994
Debut
AFCON 1994 (winner) Olympic Games 1996 (gold) AFCON 1998 (runner-up) World Cup 1998 AFCON 2000 (runner-up) World Cup 2002 AFCON 2004 (third)
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Beyond the Pitch

Born 26 March 1974 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, south-south Nigeria. Given name Taribo Idoreyin Wasem West. The 'Taribo' forename is Ikwerre in origin. Grew up in the Ajegunle district of Lagos after his family relocated, and joined Lagos-based Julius Berger FC as a 15-year-old.

Ordained as a Pentecostal Christian pastor in 2005 while still playing in Serbia. Founded Shelter in the Storm Ministries in Lagos in 2008 after retirement and has been its senior pastor since. The ministry operates a Lagos headquarters, two satellite Nigerian churches (Abuja, Port Harcourt) and an Italian congregation serving the diaspora in Milan and Turin.

Married to Paulette West since 2003; the couple have four children and live between Lagos and Milan. West has published three books on faith, ministry and African football, including the 2019 autobiography 'The Pastor Who Wore the Green Mohawk'. He also runs a Lagos-based boys' football academy that feeds players into the NPFL pipeline.

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Expert Analysis

Amara Okafor

Amara Okafor

Senior Writer

7 posts on Taribo.

Taribo Q&A

How old is Taribo West? expand_more
Taribo West was born on 26 March 1974 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. He is 52 years old as of April 2026 and has been retired from professional football since 2008.
Is Taribo West a pastor? expand_more
Yes. Taribo West was ordained as a Pentecostal Christian pastor in 2005 and has led Shelter in the Storm Ministries in Lagos since 2008. The ministry now operates three Nigerian locations (Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt) plus an Italian congregation serving the diaspora in Milan and Turin.
What is Taribo West's real age? expand_more
Taribo West's publicly registered date of birth is 26 March 1974, making him 52 in April 2026. A long-standing social-media rumour claims he is older than this, partly because of his accelerated 1993 senior Nigeria call-up at 19. West has denied the rumour in multiple interviews including a 2019 autobiography.
Did Taribo West play for Inter Milan and AC Milan? expand_more
Yes. Taribo West played for Inter Milan from 1997 to 1999 (winning the 1998 UEFA Cup) and then crossed Milan to AC Milan from 1999 to 2000. He is one of fewer than 20 players in history to have appeared in the Derby della Madonnina for both clubs.
Why did Taribo West have green hair at the 1998 World Cup? expand_more
Taribo West dyed his long dreadlocks bright green before the 1998 World Cup in France as a personal style choice; he later said it was intended to symbolise Nigeria's national colours. The look became one of France 98's most photographed images and ran on the front page of L'Equipe after Nigeria's 3-2 win over Spain in the group stage.
What is Taribo West's net worth? expand_more
Public estimates of Taribo West's net worth in 2026 sit around US $3–5 million, reflecting 15 years of European football wages across seven clubs and his ministry income. These are outside estimates rather than disclosed figures. Pastor West has repeatedly said he donates a significant share of speaking fees to his Lagos ministry.
What is Taribo West's tribe and state of origin? expand_more
Taribo West is Ikwerre by ethnicity and Rivers State by state of origin. He was born in Port Harcourt and raised both in Port Harcourt and in the Ajegunle district of Lagos, where he joined Julius Berger FC at 15. His wife Paulette is also from Rivers State.
Did Taribo West win the Olympic Gold Medal? expand_more
Yes. Taribo West was a starting centre-back for the Nigeria squad that won the 1996 Olympic Gold Medal in Atlanta. This was the first African country to win Olympic football. He played all six matches, including the 3-2 semi-final comeback vs Brazil and the 3-2 final vs Argentina at the Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.

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Last updated 2026-04-22 · written by Amara Okafor.