13 May 2011
Pa Salisu Taiwo sat proudly in front of the modest family house at No.1 Taiwo Street in Isheri-Olofin, a poor, densely populated outpost in the sprawling city of Lagos.
His soft voice trembled with emotions as he heaped praise after praise on his son, Taye Taiwo, the Nigeria international defender who has made a name for himself in Europe for the bullets he packs in his left boot.
We give thanks to God concerning my son. Anybody God grants his wishes, he should always give thanks and so I give thanks to God for TT. He is the angel God sent to my family, said Pa Taiwo.
God has used him to help us immensely. He is very humble and merciful and I thank God for that. I wish all other children could be like him, a blessing to their families.
I thank God all the time for everything. I pray all the time that whatever he does goes well.
Taiwo senior no longer has to worry about where the next meal will come from, whether for him or his children. He has long quit his job as an electric welder. These days, he is resting and enjoying his old age because Im satisfied with what he gives me.
I usually rest at my new house, which he built for me, and when Im tired of doing that, I drive out in the car he bought for me to be with my friends. We go out to have a good time, he said of a typical day.
This is your classic rags to riches story.
Like compatriot and former AJ Auxerre defender, Taribo West, Taiwo Igo na bottle (he was nicknamed a bottle because of his small size while growing up) had a tough upbringing, growing up in a tough Lagos neighbourhood of Isheri-Olofin.
Waheed Taiwo is the eldest in a family of five children, four men and a woman.
I always tell my friends that the way we started was rough. We had to hustle for almost everything. When we go to school, we don’t get to eat and when we come back, we’re still hungry, remembered Waheed.
Sometimes, to get money to eat, I would have to take the risk of illegally reconnecting electricity for homes, whose power supply has been stopped because they have not paid their bills.
Taye Taiwo, who is now a big man, sold pepper for our mother. That was how he got the pet name Taye Taiwo Alata (Taye Taiwo the pepper seller).
Taiwos twin brother, Kehinde, died when they were about two and half years old.
Kehinde started walking well even before Taye. Unfortunately, he died when they were about two and a half years old. He was sick, recalled Pa Taiwo.
Taiwos mother, Saidat Alaba, also died while he was still a youngster.
Those were some of the sad memories I carried from a very young age and for a very long time, the player now recalls.
Opeyemi Taiwo, the only female of the family, therefore had to take over the mantle as the mother of the house.
It was not easy, but we thank God today that we are still together as a family, she offered.
Taye Taiwo’s player license for Juventus FC of
Lagos in 2003
Like most other youngsters, Taiwos dream was to become a professional footballer. He played Jeun-jeun football (playing the game for some token change) on the dusty streets of Lagos, from Agege down to the obscure township of Isheri in Alimosho Local Government area, he was a local favourite.
Childhood friend, Busola Falaye, played alongside Taiwo at various ambitiously named youth clubs across the Lagos area – AC Milan, Ajax, Juventus.
We played together at several of these clubs and from the word go he showed he really wanted to be somebody in this game. He would come for training two hours before time just to work on his shots and pullouts, recounted Falaye.
Taye Taiwo was equally a decent table tennis player.
I am very sure that if I had not made a career out of football, table tennis would have put me in the national spotlight because I am very good at it, he revealed.
I grew up in Isheri-Olofin area of Lagos. I started playing football right from my days at the Community Primary School there. Even when my parents tried to stop me from pursuing a career in football, I would still sneak out to play the game, he said.
My late mum supported me by giving me money to get to the pitch when she discovered that she couldnt stop me from playing football.
You know at that time, while we were growing up, our parents dreamt of us going to school and then working to bring money to the family. So, when youre not bringing in any money, therell be trouble, Waheed Taiwo tried to explain their parents initial opposition to the children making a career out of football.
Which excuse do you have for playing football? When everybody else is giving their family money and you dont bring anything, you know there will be a lot of wahala (problems).
Added his sister, Opeyemi: When Taye wanted to play football, I didn’t want him to. I told him to go and learn a trade, but he told me he didn’t want to. He wanted to play football. We thank God this has now paid off.
One of those who believed Taiwo has a future in football was the chief scout of the now defunct Nigerdock Football Academy in Lagos, Saidu Abass.
We first saw his potentials while he was playing at the Agege Township Stadium. I knew even then that he will grow to become a world-class player. He was a greenhorn but even then he had some great pull-outs, he was totally dedicated and disciplined. And of course, he had this terrific shot. And when he came to Nigerdock, he blossomed, said Abass.
Taye, brother Waheed, Busola and some other youngsters from Juventus of Isheri-Olofin tried out at the academy.
I played as a central defender. We went to Nigerdock together, there were about 20 of us but they picked only two players – Isaac and Taiwo. I can remember the white man (Belgian coach Maurice Cooreman, who was the technical director of the academy) didnt want to let him go, but if I didnt take him home, my father would have descended on me.
I started out as an attacking midfielder and it was at Nigerdock that I was converted to a defender, said Taiwo.
Cooreman, ran the academy and when he later left to handle Gabros International of Nnewi in the professional league, Taiwo was the player he took along with him.
In the one and a half seasons, he was at Gabros, he was simply terrific and it was therefore not surprising when Lobi and Enyimba rowed over him. In the end, an arbitration panel decided that the player should move to the club of his choice, which was Lobi, remembered photojournalist Norbert Okolie.
For Dominic Iorfa, Vice-Chairman of Nigerian Premier League club Lobi Stars, Taiwo has always been destined for the top.
His talent even then was never in doubt, but what really impressed me about him was his drive to succeed. He was very determined and ready to lose money so as to make his dream come true, unlike most other players today who are only interested in how much money they can make, said Iorfa.
Iorfa revealed that he splashed a then record transfer fee of four million naira (about 20,000 Euros) for the defender. This was twice his initial budget.
His former club Gabros demanded for four million naira as his transfer to Lobi. We had earmarked two million for him but when Gabros refused to shift from their asking price, Taiwo asked that I make up the difference from what I planned to pay him as signing-on fee. He believed that playing for me, a former international, would improve his chances of playing overseas and so he was ready to make any sacrifice to join Lobi.
At Gabros, the player earned about 7,000 naira (about 35 Euros) a month and even then this meagre salary was not regular. Iorfa believed so much in Taiwo that he started him out on a monthly salary of 35,000 naira, five times what he received at Gabros, and paid him a signing-on fee of 2 million naira.
I will never forget the day I put pen to paper for Lobi Stars from where I later joined Olympique Marseille. It was one of the proudest days of my life, he revealed.
In the 2004 season, Taiwo was one of the leading goal scorers for Lobi with eight goals, all from his powerful trademark free kicks.
I got my money back. He was a very good investment, disclosed a delighted Iorfa, whose playing career included stints with Antwerp in Belgium and Queens Park Rangers in England.
He will first try his luck in Belgium with a couple of clubs, but was eventually not given a contract. There were also interests from far and wide – Esperance in Tunisia, Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa and Russias Dynamo Moscow
Months later, with the promptings of his backer, Abubakar Momodu, and after twice being refused an entry visa to France, Olympique Marseille, champions of Europe in 1993, finally welcomed this raw Nigerian defender.
Some few years ago, if anyone had told me I will be playing for Marseille, I would have laughed it off and told the person to have his head re-examined, admitted Taiwo on his rise to the top.
Incidentally, Samson Siasia gave Taiwo his first shot at international football with the national Under-20 team, and it was the young coach who recommended him to OM.
Marseille were shopping for a left fullback. I spoke with Austin Eguavoen, who said that we should give Taye a chance. He was very much part of the full international team but was not getting much playing time, revealed Siasia.
I remember it was very tough at the beginning for him in Europe. He wanted to come back and continue to play for Lobi. But after some time, he overcame this homesickness and got on with the job.
The port city of Marseille was home away from home for him for several years. His wife, Nimot and his children were born there. First child Aliyah is named after the late American singer.
Taiwo is a devout Muslim, who prays five times a day and observes the Ramadan fasting period, when you go without food or water till dinner time for a full month. He believes that his destiny has already been ordered by Allah.
Interestingly, he also takes a lot of satisfaction listening to Christian worship songs before every game, either for club or country.
A strong belief in his talent, hard work and an iron-will have now been rewarded with fame and fortune for the 26-year-old defender.
His earnings in Europe have afforded him a chance to buy one of the biggest bakeries in Nigeria, Wonder Loaf, from the family of late tycoon and politician, MKO Abiola. The bakery is located in Ikeja and is managed by his older brother, Jelili.
He has set up all members of his family, including building a more befitting house for his father.
He has regularly given car and cash gifts to friends and family
The baby of the family, Azeez, is a splitting image of TT. He has lived with him in France while also studying management, while three years ago, Taiwo opened a big provisions store for their sister, Opeyemi.
Well, we thank God for everything. Now, they call me Iya Alaje (which is a title given to a successful trader) in this whole area, Opeyemi said proudly.
Whenever I wake up, I pray for him. You can’t cry to Taye and he’ll let you go back the same way you came. Hell always try to solve your problems.
Opeyemi, like most of the Taiwos, has gone on the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and visited her brother in Europe, all expenses paid by the football star.
When I went to Mecca, I made special prayers for him, she continued.
I visited him in France. There because everything works there and there’s very little stress. I had a great time. He didn’t even want me to leave. But because I had already opened my shop, I had to come back.
I remember this day when he took me out to buy shoes, I didn’t want to leave the shopping mall!
Taye Taiwo has bought a stylish Festac duplex. He is also building another mansion-fit-for-a-king on the outskirts of Lagos, while also investing in real estate at home and abroad.
He has also founded an academy Taye Taiwo Academy while also supporting his former youth club, Juventus, with cash and equipment.
Many of his dreams have come true, the latest being his move to Italian champions AC Milan. From playing on the dusty grounds of Isheri-Olofin, TT will now showcase his talent at the San Siro.
Taiwo senior (far right) in front of the family house in Isheri-Olofin in Lagos
