TAIWO started his career with the Shooting Stars, 3SC, the darling team of Ibadan in the Oyo State capital, before moving to Europe where he stared for different clubs in the Netherlands and Austria. In the summer of 2008, he moved back home to rejoin his former teammate, Edith Agoye, at 3SC before teaming up again with Heidebloem in the Dutch third division.
According to the former 3SC star who now lives in Ibadan after calling it quits with the senior national team in 2003, while still in top shape playing for MVV Maastricht, he developed a passion for caring for the disadvantaged, while growing up but his excessive love for the round leather game robbed him of this dream.
“If not for football, I would have been a lawyer,” said Taiwo. “I would have schooled to the highest level and obtained a degree in law so l can stand and defend the oppressed and the less-privileged.
“Since I was young, football did not allow me to do any other thing. Football was everything to me and it killed any other interests because l wanted to be the best,” he said, as he barred his mind on other matters. Excerpts
Coaching after retirement
Up till 2011, l was still playing professional football with a Division three club, Heidebloem Football Club in Holland, but I have been coming to Ibadan to spend some holidays. But l’m fully back to Ibadan now and because of my love for the game of football, which l am so passionate about, I have made up my mind to be a coach after quitting the game. That is what l’m working on now.
Growing up
I had a very hard time with my parents and most especially my father on the issue of playing football. You won’t believe that my father personally called a police man to arrest me and also detained me because of football. He had warned me severally not to play but I refused and he had to go to the extent of arresting me with the police for me to change my mind and stop playing football. He actually wanted me to go to school like every other children. But I was so passionate about football that I found it very difficult to stop and listen to his advice then. He actually made the arrest when he got the hint that a prominent club in Benin Republic, Natitingu FC, wanted me to join them. So, he had no option than to stop me from going with the arrest. I had already packed my bags and I was in the motor park to embark on the journey to Cotonou. Fumingly, the officer in charge of the station came to me and said, we can’t delay you or stop you from going to Benin Republic because players are making good money from the game. So, they released me and advised me to listen to my father. I then decided to still pursue the Cotonou ambition. The funny thing again is that when I finally joined the club and after I collected my first sign-on fee I decided to come back to Nigeria just to come and make peace with my parents. On reaching Nigeria, I and my parents were not on speaking terms for a week. But my parents were surprised that I was feeding myself without their assistance. I even bought a brand new black and white television with a new mattress for my room. They couldn’t stomach it any longer, so my mother came to me and urged me to go and beg my father and explain things to him, which I did. So, I begged him and told him about my salary and other entitlements in my new club and he was very happy with me and the matter died just like that after that. Unfortunately, my father is no more. He died in 1997 when I had already settled down in Holland, but my mother is still alive.
With Super Eagles
I had a good time in the national team of Nigeria and I will never forget in a hurry the Olympics qualifiers then in 1995 with Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha and the rest of them. That time, Johannes Bonfrere was in charge of the team as the Technical Adviser. I could remember vividly the last time when we were going to play the last qualifier but first leg match against Kenya at the Onikan Stadium and the first leg there in Lagos ended scoreless draw (0-0). The Onikan fans were very mad with us and they did not allow us to come out of the stadium because they laid siege to us so as to deal with us when we come out. They were later dispersed by the police. But after preparing very well for the second leg, we bounced back away to Kenya in Mombasa and won the match 3-0. It was a match I will cherish for a long time because I scored a goal while Okocha scored the other two goals in the match. It was the match that booked the Olympics ticket for Nigeria. After this match, my profile soared and Coach Shuaibu Amodu invited me for the Gold Cup in U.S.A. Interestingly, my first touch in the tournament produced the first goal for Nigeria and it was a memorable one for me. The last time I played for the Nigerian team was in 2003 in an international friendly game with a selected side in Spain, a game we lost 3-0. We had many fresh players that played the match that day and some of them were playing for the Eagles for the very first time. So we did not prepare very well for the match.
I was still playing very well and like I told you I am still playing in Holland despite playing for a third division side. But I still hope to team up with a top division team next season. The reason for being shut out of the national team is not farfetched; new technical crew, new players, and new techniques. Frequent changing of Super Eagles coaches does not allow room for consistency in our national team. The new coach failed to invite me and that was all.
Assessment of Nigerian players in the Dutch league
There are a few of them in the top league. At a point, VVV Venlo had three Nigerian players that were doing well: Alex Nkume a right back (defender), Michael Uchebo, a tall and gangling striker, and Ahmed Musa. Musa had a good time at VVV Venlo before moving on. The Dutch league is based on technique and not power or physique and you know that Nigeria’s style is hinged and based on power and physical abilities. It was here that Musa learnt the ropes, and after watching a couple of his games I knew he would definitely become a great star and also help the Nigerian senior team in years to come. I am a striker of many years and I know what I am saying. I know when I see a good player.
