Former Super Eagles and AC Milan defender Taribo West, in this interview with EBENEZER BAJELA, talks about his rivalry with Italian great Paolo Maldini in Milan, Samuel Chukwueze’s slow start in Italy, Eagles’ chances of winning 2023 AFCON and more
What do you think of the Eagles chances against hosts Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau in Group A of next year’s AFCON?
For me, that group with Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau is not going to be easy. In fact, it is a setup, but I think with the Nigerian faith and maximum preparation, coupled with other issues that should be sorted out on time like the players’ bonuses, we can go through because these issues are what demoralises players. Remember that at the Women’s World Cup, there was the problem of match bonuses, not just with Nigeria but also with some other African countries. How do you expect the players to go out and perform with that? These issues should have been resolved so that the players can go with maximum preparations. Anyway, knowing what is at stake, I am sure they will make it through the group stage to the round of 16. I believe Nigeria have the team that can beat anybody and go on to win the trophy but preparations is key.
The Eagles drew with Lesotho and Zimbabwe during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers last month. What is your take on these games?
There are no more minnows in football and the days of looking at Lesotho and Zimbabwe as small countries are over. Whenever they want to play the Nigeria national team they want to show their stuff and that is why the Eagles can never underrate these teams at all. Going forward, they should make sure that they play them the way they are supposed to play every other opponent. I do not see either Lesotho or Zimbabwe as a smaller team because most of these teams are also building and their players also have contracts with various clubs across the world. They are acquiring a lot of experience and they will bring it back home to the national team and work with them. That is why Nigeria should not underrate any of these teams. It has to be an eye for an eye because we missed the last World Cup and we want to see Nigeria at the next one, we don’t want to miss out again.
You spoke about motivating the team with match bonuses. How about the technical part of the team, what do you think should be done?
We have (Victor) Osimhen, who is on fire and we also have (Wilfred) Ndidi, who is doing very well with Leicester City in the Championship. There is also Kenneth Omeruo, who is a very experienced player and has won the AFCON before. We have a very good squad that we can bank on but I also pray that this tournament will bring the best out of our coach, so that we can have the edge over our opponents technically. I am not afraid of any team we come up against but my only worry is the federation and also the preparation. If the federation can work it through and ensure that there is no distraction in the team, that will be a very big advantage for the team. Secondly, if they can prepare ahead of time, I am sure they can get the best out of the players because we have some of the best strikers in Europe right now. Take a look at Victor Boniface in Germany, Terem Moffi in France, Osimhen in Italy and even in Belgium we have very good players there. On the flanks, we have Moses Simon, who is also doing very well. All we need is a coach who is going to blend them together because individually we are top, but the coach needs to make them work together to form a formidable team that can represent the nation. If that happens ,I am not afraid and I believe that the trophy can return back to Nigeria.
In Italy, we have Samuel Chukwueze who is currently with your former team, AC Milan. Do you think he has the quality to play regularly for the Italian giants?
Oh, Chukwueze has everything and I believe he is in the best club in the world but all he needs is patience and wait for his time, he will break through.
You played a season at AC Milan and managed only four league games. Is it that difficult to play for Milan?
No, it is not. In my time I had a certain issue with (Paulo) Maldini and Costacurta. I was out of the league because I came for the AFCON. From the preparation time till the AFCON was over, I spent almost 80 per cent of the season with the national team. So, when I went back (to Milan) there were five games left and out of the five, I played four games. I played in Maldini’s position and I took the position from him. Then I went to meet the President of Inter Milan and see if I could return to the club and he asked me why did I leave in the first place for Milan and I told him I wanted some experience with another team and see how it is. Then he said, ‘why did you play in Maldini’s position?’ So, I said anywhere the coach told me to play I would play. He said, ’in Italy you don’t do that, that’s our national team captain, you are looking for trouble.’ Thats what the Inter Milan president told me, I can say it anywhere. So, they had to look for a way to scheme me out of the team and that was why I left Milan because the following season I was going to be a regular or captain the team because I had taken the position of Maldini. Maldini himself knew because he was asking me, ‘do you play left-full back?’ But Chukwueze, I think he is the best in his position in the world right now. If the football association knows what to do, there are certain things they can employ to make our players the best in the world. Still, we have people in the administrative position and I mean people who have not even tasted football or know anything about the administrative part of football. Still, they are just rotating the position among themselves. It is not just to criticise the players because other players they are competing with have representatives to support them and we are just here in Nigeria to criticise them. Chukwueze needs help and he is new in Italy, which is not the same as Spain. He doesn’t know the culture yet and that is why somebody needs to be there to help him through. There are a lot of things I see that hurt me and that is why during my time as a player I criticised so many things and I became a rebel in the Eagles. That is why they sacked me from the team.
Whats your opinion about the NPFL?
Look at our domestic league, there is nothing in the league but during our time you could go to the stadium and see a lot of foreign players from Cameroon, Ghana coming to play in the league. We also had foreign coaches from Brazil and Yugoslavia who were around. How many of them do we have now? The ones that managed to come went back. They killed everything in the system and everywhere you want to play in Nigeria now, you have to bribe the coaches, national team you have to bribe the coaches. What kind of system is that? If tomorrow I have a young boy who is good to play for the country, Nigerians will not see the good legs because you have to bribe your way into the national teams. They will pick coaches from somewhere because somebody is giving them handouts.
Are you saying this on hearsay or do you have your facts?
I know and I have evidence. It is a known thing and some of the coaches are even proud of it and boast about it. They brought some few coaches that took bribe and even suspended them for it. There were confirmations of payment, though I don’t want to call any names but there are evidences. There are some players who have the ability but they don’t have godfathers, when the time is right I will expose all of them.
