5 forgotten African heroes

#1 Taribo West

Taribo West was instantly recognisable due to his bizarre hairstyle

While Taribo West might’ve been known more for his colourful hairstyle – green braids usually tied up on his head – than his skills on the pitch, in reality, he was one of the toughest defenders around Europe in his prime, which saw him play for French side Auxerre and Italian giants Inter Milan – with whom he captured the UEFA Cup in 1997/98, although he was sent off in the final.

As a tough-tackling defender, West’s discipline was somewhat of a problem throughout his career – he was sent off twice and booked a further six times for Auxerre in the 1994/95 season, although he also contributed to them having the meanest defence in Ligue One – conceding just 34 league goals all season. For Nigeria, he was an ever-present in their side that won the Olympic gold medal in 1996, and he also played in the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 African Cup of Nations.

Later in his career, West was faced with accusations that he was possibly 12 years older than he’d billed himself throughout his career – Partizan Belgrade’s president claimed he was 40, not 32 during his time there, but West denied this. It was a strange accusation but also one that wasn’t all that surprising given West’s colourful nature – something which makes it all that more surprising that he’s largely a forgotten man today.