Taye Ismaila Taiwo (born 16 April 1985) is a Nigerian professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who plays as a defender for

Kakkonen Kakkonen or II divisioona is the third level in the Finnish football league system, league system of Finnish football and comprises 36 Finland, Finnish football (soccer), football teams. The II divisioona was introduced in 1973 and in the mid-1 ...

club SalPa. Having been a ranks of Gabros International and

Lobi Stars Lobi Stars Football Club (formerly known as ''Mosquito football club'', ''Lobi Bank'', ''BBL Hawks'', and ''Hawks'') is a Nigerian professional soccer club based in Makurdi, Benue. The club competes in the Nigerian Professional Football League. ...

, Taiwo moved to France by joining

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

, where he had a successful spell at the club, winning Ligue 1, Coupe de la Ligue and

Trophée des Champions The Trophée des Champions (, ) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the super cups found in many other countries. His ...

. However, after joining

Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...

side

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, Taiwo's career declined, with Goal.com said: "The left-back unfortunately faded following his promising time in France which turned out to be the highpoint of his career."

Club career

Olympique de Marseille

Born in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

, Nigeria, Taiwo began his football career at

Nigeria Division 1 The Nigerian National League (formerly known as ''National Division 1'') is the second tier of club football in Nigeria. History From 1997-2011, the league has been split into 1A for Northern teams and 1B for southern teams. The top two f ...

club Gabros International and

Nigeria Premier League The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) is the highest level of the Nigerian football league system, for the Nigerian club-football championships. The Nigerian league has suffered, like many others, from the financial impact and dwind ...

side,

. On 10 January 2005, at the age of 20, Taiwo moved to France when he was signed by French club,

, signing a three–year contract, with a reported transfer fee costing 200,000 euros.
Taiwo was brought in to fill the void

Bixente Lizarazu Bixente Jean-Michel Lizarazu (, born 9 December 1969) is a French former professional footballer who played as a left back for Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, among other teams. He also had 97 caps for the France national team. In a twelve-year ...

had left when he departed for Bayern Munich. It wasn't until the end of January when Taiwo officially moved to the club. On 12 March 2005 manager

Philippe Troussier Philippe Omar TroussierOctober's ten - Religious conversions

called him to the first team and made his debut for Marseille, starting a match and played 61 minutes before being substituted, as the club won 2–1 against

RC Lens Racing Club de Lens (, commonly referred to as RC Lens or simply Lens) is a French professional football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, ''les sang et or'' (''the blood and gold''), co ...

. After the match, Foot Marseille said about Taiwo's performance: "For his debut in White, this athletic Nigerian started well with a goal ball for Luyindula and a few good interventions then seemed completely lost on the pitch never knowing how to position himself. His second half confirmed these incredible mistakes. He will hardly be able to do worse but given his age and his physique, he will surely speak of him better, much better." After sitting for the next six matches due to competitions from fellow left–back players Salomon Olembé and Kōji Nakata, Taiwo went on to start the remaining three matches of the 2004–05 season, as the club went on to finish fifth place in the league. At the end of the 2004–05 season, he went on to make a total of four appearances in all competitions for the side.

2005–06 season

Ahead of the 2005–06 season, Taiwo was linked a move to

Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...

side

PSV Eindhoven Philips Sport Vereniging (; en, Philips Sports Association ), abbreviated as PSV and internationally known as PSV Eindhoven (), is a Dutch sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is best known for its professional football department, w ...

, with a player exchange involving

Lee Young-pyo Lee Young-pyo ( ko, 이영표; ; born 23 April 1977) is a retired South Korean professional footballer who played as a right-footed left back. Lee was recognized for his speed and dribbling skills. His former manager Martin Jol once called h ...

moving to the opposite direction, but Marseille's president

Pape Diouf Mababa Diouf, known as Papa Diouf or Pape Diouf (18 December 1951 – 31 March 2020) was a Franco-Senegalese football personality who was a sports journalist, agent for football players, and later president of Olympique de Marseille from ...

dismissed the move from happening. The transfer speculation ended when he signed a contract extension with the club, keeping him until 2009. Taiwo started the season well when he established himself in the first team, playing in the left–back position. Taiwo then scored his first goal of the season, in a 3–2 win against BSC Young Boys in the first leg of the UEFA Intertoto Cup's Third Round. In the return leg, he set up the winning goal for

Samir Nasri Samir Nasri (born 26 June 1987) is a French former professional footballer. He primarily played as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he had also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri was known for his dribbling, ball control ...

, in a 2–1 win to send the club progress to the next round. Taiwo later helped Marseille win the

Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, 'betting pool'),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International Foo ...

after beating

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and

Deportivo de La Coruña Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña (), commonly known as Deportivo La Coruña (), Deportivo or simply Dépor, is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. They currently play in the Primera División RFEF – ...

. It wasn't until on 14 August 2005 when he scored his second goal for the club, in a 1–1 draw against

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

. Taiwo played in both legs of the UEFA Cup first round against Germinal Beerschot and helped Marseille win 4–1 in the penalty shootout after playing in a 0–0 draw throughout the combined minutes of 210 minutes, in which he successfully converted in the shootout. After serving a one match suspension, Taiwo scored on his return to the starting line–up, in a 1–0 win against

Heerenveen Heerenveen (, fry, It Hearrenfean ) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the municipality had a population 50,859 (1 July). ...

on 24 November 2005 to help Marseille qualify for the UEFA Cup knockout stage. After missing the whole January due to his international commitment, he returned to the starting line–up against

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Pa ...

on 12 February 2006 and helped the club keep a clean sheet, in a 1–0 win. Following his return, Taiwo continued to regain his first team place, playing in the left–back position. After serving a one match suspension once again, he scored on his return to the starting line–up in the semi–finals of the Coupe de France against Rennes and helped Marseille keep a clean sheet, in a 3–0 win to reach the Coupe de France Final. Eight days later on 29 April 2006, Taiwo started in the final against

Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...

, as the club lost 2–1. At the end of the 2005–06 season, he made fifty appearances and scoring four times in all competitions. Taye Taiwo 5281

2006–07 season

Ahead of the 2006–07 season, Taiwo's performances at Marseille and African Cup of Nations attracted interests from European clubs. But he wanted to stay at the club. Taiwo started the season well when he played in both legs of the UEFA Intertoto Cup against Dnipro, as the club won on away goals rule following a 2–2 draw in the return leg. However, Taiwo was sent–off for a straight red card in the 4th minute against Young Boys in the UEFA Cup Qualification Round, as Marseille won on away goals rule following a 3–3 on aggregate. He then helped the club keep four consecutive clean sheets in the first four league matches for the side. It wasn't until on 17 September 2006 when Taiwo scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–1 win against Bordeaux. He then scored his second goal of the season in the return leg of the UEFA Cup first round against

Mladá Boleslav Mladá Boleslav (; german: Jungbunzlau) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 42,000 inhabitants. Mladá Boleslav is the second most populated city in the region and a major centre of the Czech automotive in ...

, as Marseille lost 4–2 on aggregate. Three days later on 1 October 2006, Taiwo scored his third goal of the season, in a 3–0 win against Toulouse. However, he was sent–off for a straight red card in the 56th minute, as the club lost 4–1 against Lyon on 22 October 2006 and served a two match suspension as a result. Taiwo returned to the starting line–up against

FC Lorient Football Club Lorient Bretagne Sud (; commonly referred to FC Lorient or simply Lorient) is a French association football club based in Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in we ...

on 4 November 2006, as Marseille lost 1–0. Following his return from suspension, he continued to regain his first team place, playing in the left–back position. It wasn't until on 24 January 2007 when Taiwo scored his fourth goal of the season, in a 3–1 win against

Auxerre Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are r ...

. He then helped the club progress through Coupe de France, eventually reaching to the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...

. In the

against

Sochaux Sochaux () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. Geography Sochaux lies east of Montbéliard, and southeast of Paris. Population Inhabitants are known as ''Sochaliens''. Economy S ...

, Taiwo started the whole game throughout the 120 minutes following a 2–2 draw and was the first penalty taker to successfully convert in the penalty shootout, as Marseille lost 5–4 in the shootout, therefore losing another final. At the end of the 2006–07 season, he went on to make forty–seven appearances and scoring four times in all competitions. TayeTaiwo

2007–08 season

Ahead of the 2007–08 season, Taiwo continued to be linked a move away from Marseille, with European clubs, especially

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

interested in signing him. He started in the opening game of the season against Strasbourg and helped the club keep a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw. After being dropped for the next two matches, Taiwo returned to the starting line–up against Nancy on 19 August 2007 and set up Marseille's first goal of the game, in a 2–2 draw. He continued to regain his first team place, playing in the left–back position. Taiwo then made his UEFA Champions League debut against Beşiktaş on 18 September 2007 and kept a clean sheet, in a 2–0 win. However, in a match against Saint-Étienne on 6 October 2007, he was sent–off for a second bookable offence, in a 1–0 loss and served a two match suspension as a result. After serving a two match suspension, Taiwo returned to the starting line–up against Lorient on 3 November 2007 and was then substituted at half time as the club drew 0–0. This led him to being dropped to the substitute bench after his performance received criticism from supporters and media alike. It wasn't until on 28 November 2007 when Taiwo returned to the starting line–up for Marseille and scored his first UEFA Champions League goal, in a 2–1 loss against Beşiktaş. He then started the next five matches for the rest of the year before being called up by Nigeria for the African Cup of Nations. While on international duty, Taiwo was linked a move away from the club following the new signing of Juan Krupoviesa , but he made it clear that he wanted to stay at Marseille. Following the end of the tournament, it wasn't until on 10 February 2008 when he returned to the first team, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 2–0 win against

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...

. Three days later on 13 February 2008, Taiwo scored his second goal of the season, in a 3–0 win against

Spartak Moscow Spartak Moscow may refer to the following teams based or formerly based in Moscow, Russia: * FC Spartak Moscow, an association football club * HC Spartak Moscow, a professional ice hockey team * Spartak GM Moscow, a semi-professional rugby club * WB ...

in the first leg of the UEFA Cup Third Round. This was followed up by scoring against

rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

, Paris Saint-Germain, as the club won 2–1. Two weeks later on 6 March 2008, he captained the club for the first time against

Zenit Saint Petersburg Football Club Zenit (russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб «Зенит» ), also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional football club based in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, acco ...

in the first leg of the UEFA Cup Last 16 and set up Marseille's first goal of the game, in a 3–1 win. Three days later on 9 March 2008, Taiwo scored his fourth goal of the season, in a 2–0 win against Saint-Étienne. It wasn't until on 27 April 2008 when he scored his next goal, in a 3–2 win against

AS Monaco Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club SA, commonly referred to as AS Monaco () or Monaco, is a professional football club based in Monaco that is member of French Football Federation (FFF) and competes in Ligue 1, the top tier of Frenc ...

. Since returning from his international commitment, Taiwo regained his first team place, playing in the left–back position for the rest of the season. It was announced that both he signed another contract extension in April 2008, keeping him until 2011. For his performance, Taiwo was named Trophées UNFP du football's Team of the Year. At the end of the 2007–08 season, he made forty appearances and scoring five times in all competitions. Taye Taiwo Coupe de la ligue 2010

2008–09 season

At the start of the 2008–09 season, Taiwo made his 100th appearance for Marseille in the opening game of the season against Rennes and set up Marseille's third goal of the game, in a 4–4 draw. He played in both legs of the UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round against Brann, as Marseille won 3–1 on aggregate to qualify for the Group Stage. Taiwo continued to regain his first team place, playing in the left–back position for the club. During a 2–1 loss against Atlético Madrid on 1 October 2008, Taiwo was subjected of a racist chant from the opposition's supporters. It wasn't until on 1 November 2008 when he scored his first goal of the season, in a 3–1 win against Saint-Étienne. Taiwo then captained the club for the first time this season against Besançon RC in the first round of Coupe de France, scored the equalising goal and played 120 minutes following a 1–1 draw, in which he successfully converted in the penalty shootout, as Marseille won 5–4 in the shootout to go to the next round. During a 1–0 loss against Sochaux on 1 February 2009, Taiwo was at fault when he conceded the only goal of the game. After the match, Manager

Eric Gerets Eric Maria Gerets (, born 18 May 1954) is a Belgian football manager and former player who played as a right back. He started his playing career as an amateur for his local team AA Rekem, before achieving success with Standard Liège and PSV. ...

criticised his performance. Taiwo made amends of his performance by helping the club keep five clean sheets in the next five matches between 8 February 2009 and 7 March 2009. He then played in both legs against

Twente Twente ( nl, Twente , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Ge ...

in the third round of the UEFA Cup and played combined minutes of 210 minutes following a 1–1 draw on aggregate, in which he successfully converted in the shootout, as Marseille won 7–6 on penalties. Taiwo then scored twice for the side, in a 4–1 win against

Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...

on 12 April 2009. However, he suffered a groin injury during a 2–1 loss against

Shakhtar Donetsk Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was f ...

in the return leg of the UEFA Cup quarter–finals, resulting in the club's elimination from the tournament, and was sidelined for three weeks. It wasn't until on 13 May 2009 when Taiwo returned to the starting line–up against OGC Nice and set up Marseille's second goal of the game, in a 2–0 win. The club were unsuccessful to win the league, as they finished second place behind Bordeaux. For his performance once again, he was named Trophées UNFP du football's Team of the Year for the second time in his career. At the end of the 2008–09 season, Taiwo went on to make fifty–two appearances and scoring four times in all competitions. L'OM, vainqueur de la Coupe de la Ligue

2009–10 season

Ahead of the 2009–10 season, Taiwo was linked a move away from Marseille following reports about his dream to play in the

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

. But he announced his intention to stay at the club. At the start of the 2009–10 season, Taiwo started in the left–back position in Marseille's first seven matches to the season. This lasted until he suffered a knee injury during a 4–2 win against Montpellier on 19 September 2009 and was substituted at the second half. It wasn't until on 30 September 2009 when Taiwo returned to the starting line–up against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League match, as the club lost 3–0. After returning to the first team, he was dropped to the first team between 17 October 2009 and 8 November 2009 when Manager

Didier Deschamps Didier Claude Deschamps (; born 15 October 1968) is a French professional football manager and former player who has been manager of the France national team since 2012. He played as a defensive midfielder for several clubs, in France, Italy, ...

preferred

Gabriel Heinze Gabriel Iván Heinze (; born 19 April 1978) is an Argentine football coach and former player who is currently the manager of Newell's Old Boys. As a player, he operated as a defender, either as a left-back or a centre-back. Nicknamed ''Gringo'' ...

playing in the position. By mid–November, Taiwo regained his first team place when Heinze returned to playing in the centre–back position. It wasn't until on 12 December 2009 when he scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–0 win against

US Boulogne Union Sportive de Boulogne-sur-Mer Côte d'Opale (commonly referred to as US Boulogne or frequently, simply Boulogne) is a French association football club based in the commune of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The club was founded in 1898 and currently pl ...

. After the end of the African Cup of Nations, Taiwo returned to the starting line–up against

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...

on 7 February 2010, as the club won 5–1. Since returning to the first team, he continued competing with Heinze over the left–back position for the rest of the 2009–10 season, which resulted in him being placed on the substitute bench. Taiwo then scored his second goal of the season, with a trademark left-footed strike from long range, in a 2–1 win against Lyon on 21 March 2010. In the Coupe de la Ligue Final against Bordeaux on 27 March 2010, he started the whole game, as Marseille won 3–1 to win the tournament. Taiwo then scored his third goal of the season, in a 2–1 win against Boulogne on 17 April 2010. In a match against Rennes on 5 May 2010, he came on as a 57th-minute substitute and played the rest of the game, they won 3–1, winning the league for the first time in eighteen years. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Taiwo went on to make thirty–seven appearances and scoring three times in all competitions.

2010–11 season

Ahead of the 2010–11 season, Taiwo announced his intention to stay at Marseille, with a rumoured talks of a new contract negotiations began. However, he rejected a contract offer from the club, but stayed at Marseille for the 2010–11 season. In the

match against Paris Saint-Germain, Taiwo captained and started the whole game throughout the 120 minutes following a 0–0 draw and was the first penalty taker to successfully convert in the penalty shootout, as Marseille won 5–4 in the shootout. He then scored two goals in two matches between 14 August 2010 and 21 August 2010 against Valenciennes and Lorient. A month later on 25 September 2010, Taiwo scored his fourth goal of the season, scoring a 35 meters strike, in a 2–1 win against Sochaux. However, Taiwo, once again, lost his first team place in the left–back position to Heinze. At times, he managed to regain his place when Heinze returned to playing in the centre–back position. Taiwo then set up two goals in two matches between 16 January 2011 and 19 January 2011, including one against Auxerre that send the club through to the Coupe de la Ligue final following a 2–0 win. It wasn't until on 17 April 2011 when he scored his fourth goal of the season, in a 2–1 win against Montpellier. In a follow–up match against Montpellier in the Coupe de la Ligue final, Taiwo scored the only goal at the Stade de France to win the tournament and was named ICM Player of the Match. After the match, he grabbed a microphone and joined fans in singing an expletive-laden chant aimed at the club's rivals PSG, narrowly escaping a ban from the LFP. However, Taiwo received a one-match ban for his action, and apologised for his action. After serving a one match suspension, he returned to the starting line–up in the last game of the season against

SM Caen Stade Malherbe Caen (; commonly known as SM Caen, SMC, or simply Caen) is a French professional football team, based in the city of Caen in Normandy, that competes in the Ligue 2. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 by the merger of ''Clu ...

and set up one of the goals, in a 2–2 draw, in what turned out to be his last appearance for Marseille. At the end of the 2010–11 season, Taiwo went on to make forty–one appearances and scoring five times in all competitions. For his performance, he was named Trophées UNFP du football's Team of the Year for the third time in his career. Throughout the 2010–11 season, the club continued to try to convince Taiwo to sign a new contract, as the player, himself, wanted to stay at Marseille. However, Taiwo announced his intention to leave Marseille at the end of the 2010–11 season, to seek new challenge elsewhere.

Milan

On 9 May 2011,

coach,

Massimiliano Allegri Massimiliano Allegri (; born 11 August 1967), also known as Max Allegri, is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Juventus. During his playing career, Allegri played in the Serie A as a midfielder ...

, confirmed the signing of Taiwo along with French defender

Philippe Mexès Philippe Mexès (; born 30 March 1982) is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He represented Auxerre, Roma and AC Milan at club level during a career that spanned between 1999 and 2016. A full international bet ...

. The two were to play for Milan for the 2011–12 season.
However, he suffered ankle injury that saw him expected to be out for a month. Taiwo made his debut with the club on 24 September 2011 in the home league match won 1–0 against

Cesena Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and ''comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137. ...

where he was eventually replaced by Luca Antonini. In December 2011, Taiwo made an interview for the French sports newspaper ''

L'Équipe ''L'Équipe'' (, French for "the team") is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of association football, rugby, motorsport, and cycling. Its predecessor w ...

'' where he expressed his disappointment with his current experience at A.C. Milan, commenting on problems with

and lack of playing time, having been placed on the substitute bench. As a result, Taiwo made six starts for the club in all competitions (eventually making a total of eight appearances). Despite the player spending much time on the substitutes bench, Taiwo reiterated his commitment to AC Milan.

Queens Park Rangers (loan)

On 24 January 2012,

Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...

secured the signing of Taiwo from A.C. Milan on a loan deal until the end of the season, with the option to buy for a fee of around £3.5 million. Upon joining the club, he was given a number 34 shirt. After making a move to Queens Park Rangers, Taiwo said he was expecting to make an impact at the club, rather than sitting on the bench. Taiwo made his debut for Queens Park Rangers, starting the whole game against Aston Villa on 1 February 2012, where he played a role, leading Stephen Warnock to score an own goal, as the club drew 2–2. Since joining Queens Park Rangers, he quickly established himself in the first team, playing in the left–back position. Taiwo then set up the club's second goal of the game, in a 3–2 win against

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

on 21 March 2012. This was followed up by scoring his first goal for Queens Park Rangers through a fantastic executed curling effort from a free kick 27 yards out in a 3–1 defeat against Sunderland. On the last game of the season, Taiwo started the whole game, as Manchester City beat Queens Park Rangers 3–2, but Bolton Wanderers' failure to beat Stoke City, however, meant that QPR survived in the Premier League. At the end of the 2011–12 season, he went on to make fifteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Despite reports claimed that Queens Park Rangers would be interested in signing Taiwo on a permanent basis, and the player, himself, would like to stay at the club, the club decided against signing him and he returned to his parent club.

Dynamo Kyiv (loan)

Having previously said that he did not want to return to AC Milan, it was announced on 31 July 2012 that Taiwo joined Ukrainian club

Dynamo Kyiv Football Club Dynamo Kyiv (, ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kyiv. Founded in 1927 as a Kyivan football team of republican branch of the bigger Soviet Dynamo Sports Society, the club as a separate business entity was officia ...

on a one-year loan deal with the option of making the move permanent at the end of the season. Upon joining the club, he was given a number 33 shirt. Taiwo made his debut for Dynamo Kyiv against Kryvbas on 3 August 2012 and helped the club keep a clean sheet, in a 1–0 win. He then played in both legs against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the UEFA Champions League Play–Rounds, as the club won 4–3 on aggregate to progress to the Group Stage. It wasn't until on 23 September 2012 when Taiwo scored his first goal for Dynamo Kyiv, as they lost 4–1 against

in the third round of the Ukrainian Cup. Since making his debut for the club, he became a first team regular, playing in the left–back position in the first two months. This lasted until Taiwo was suspended for three matches after he was involved in altercation with Cleiton Xavier during Dynamo Kyiv's 3–1 loss against Metalist Kharkiv on 20 October 2012. After serving a three match suspension, he returned to the starting line–up against Metalurh Donetsk on 16 November 2012 and played the whole game, as the club lost 1–0. Since returning to the first team from suspension, Taiwo later found himself rotating in and out as the season goes by. At the end of the 2012–13 season, he went on to make thirty–one appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Following this, Taiwo returned to his parent club after Dynamo Kyiv decided against signing him on a permanent basis. Taye Taiwo in Dynamo Kyiv

Bursaspor

On 5 July 2013, Taiwo signed a three-year deal with Turkish side

Bursaspor Bursaspor Kulübü Derneği (), commonly known as Bursaspor, is a Turkish sports club located in the city of Bursa. Formed in 1963, the club colours are green and white, with home kits usually featuring both colours in a striped pattern. In t ...

. He was linked with a move to the Premier League by joining newly promoted club Cardiff City, but opted to move to Turkey. Upon joining the club, Taiwo was given a number three shirt. On 1 August 2013, Taiwo scored on his Bursaspor debut, in a 2–2 draw

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...

in the first leg of their

Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...

third qualifying round tie. In the return leg, however, he started the whole game, as the club lost 3–0, eliminating them from the tournament. Taiwo then made his league debut for Bursaspor in the opening game of the season against Eskişehirspor, as the club lost 2–0. A week later on 30 August 2013 against

Antalyaspor Antalyaspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional football club located in the city of Antalya. The club's colours are red and white. They play their home matches at the Antalya Stadium. In Turkey, the club won the First League twice in 1982 and ...

, he set up Bursaspor's second goal of the game, to give the club their first win of the season. Since joining Bursaspor, Taiwo quickly established himself in the first team, playing in the left–back position. He then helped the club keep three consecutive clean sheets between 4 October 2013 and 27 October 2013. It wasn't until on 9 November 2013 when he scored his first goal for Bursaspor, in a 2–1 loss against

Sivasspor Sivasspor Kulübü, known as Demir Grup Sivasspor due to sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish sports club based in Sivas. The primary department of the club is men's football. Formed in 1967, its football department competes in Süper Lig, as of 201 ...

. Three weeks later on 29 November 2013, Taiwo scored again, in a 2–1 win against

Elazığspor Elazığspor is a Turkish professional football club located in Elazığ and currently competes in the TFF Third League. They previously played their home games at Elazığ Atatürk Stadium in Elazığ, which had a maximum capacity of 13,923. T ...

. After the match, he was named the league's Team of the Week. Since the start of the 2013–14 season, Taiwo started in every match in the left–back position until February when he missed one match, due to tactical change. Following his return, he rotated in and out of the starting line–up for the rest of the season. At the end of the 2013–14 season, Taiwo went on to make thirty–seven appearances and scoring three times in all competitions. Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Taiwo was linked a move away from Bursaspor, as the club wanted to cut cost as a result of their financial problems, but he ended up staying at the club. However, Manager Şenol Güneş didn't use him in the first team throughout the 2014–15 season, resulting in Taiwo not playing for twelve months. In February 2015, he was fined by Bursaspor after taking a leave without the club's permission. On 27 April 2015, Taiwo mutually agreed to have his contract terminated with Bursaspor. Taye Taiwo'14

HJK

On 23 August 2015, Taiwo joined

HJK Helsinki Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (), commonly known as HJK Helsinki, or simply as HJK, is a professional football club based in Helsinki, Finland. The club competes in the Finnish Veikkausliiga. Founded in 1907, the club has spent most of its history i ...

for the remainder of the season with an option for a one additional year. The following day, he made his debut for the club, starting the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against

HIFK Fotboll HIFK Fotboll or IFK Helsingfors is an association football section of HIFK, a sports club based in Helsinki, Finland. The men's football team competes in the highest tier of Finnish football, Veikkausliiga. Their home ground is the Bolt Arena. ...

. Since making his debut for HJK Helsinki, Taiwo quickly established himself in the starting eleven, playing in the left–back position. However, the club finished third place in the league. In October of the same year, HJK exercised their option of keeping Taiwo under contract for the 2016 season. At the end of the 2015 season, he went on to make eleven appearances in all competitions. Ahead of the 2016 season, Taiwo was linked a move away from HJK Helsinki, but he ended up staying at the club. Taiwo started the season well when he scored his first goal for HJK Helsinki in a 1–0 win against

IFK Mariehamn IFK Mariehamn is an Ålandic football club based in Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland Islands. It plays in the Finnish Premier Division (''Veikkausliiga''). The club is managed by Daniel Norrmén, and it plays its home matches at Wiklöf ...

in the

Finnish League Cup The Finnish League Cup was a knock-out football competition contested annually during the pre-season in winter by teams from Veikkausliiga. The league cup was abolished after the 2016 tournament and replaced with the Finnish Cup group stage startin ...

. A week later on 9 February 2016, Taiwo scored his second goal of the season in another Finnish League Cup match, in a 3–3 draw against

. Since the start of the 2016 season, he continued to regain his first team place for the club, playing in the left–back position. Taiwo's goalscoring form continued for HJK Helsinki when he scored four goals between 7 May 2016 and 20 May 2016, including a brace against

Inter Turku Football Club International Turku, commonly referred to as Inter Turku and colloquially known as Inter, is a professional football club based in Turku, Finland, that competes in the Veikkausliiga, the top flight of Finnish Football. Founded in 1 ...

. As a result, he became the club's fan favourite. Taiwo then scored two goals in two consecutive matches between 12 June 2016 and 18 June 2016 against RoPS and SJK. He played in both legs of the UEFA Europa League first round against Atlantas and scored a goal himself, as HJK Helsinki won 3–1 on aggragate. However, Taiwo suffered an injury and was substituted in the 78th minute during the second leg of the UEFA Europa League second round, in a 1–0 win against Beroe, sending the club through to the next round. As a result, he was sidelined for two months. It wasn't until on 21 September 2016 when Taiwo returned to the starting line–up from injury against RoPS and set up HJK Helsinki's first goal of the game, in a 2–1 win. He then started in the final of the Finnish Cup against SJK and played 90 minutes before being substituted, as the club lost 7–6 in a penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw. Taiwo called time on his playing career with HJK Helsinki after their final league game against SJK on 23 October 2016. At the end of the 2016 season, he went on to make thirty–four appearances and scoring nine times in all competitions.

Lausanne-Sport

On 30 January 2017, Taiwo signed for

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...

until the end of the 2016–17 season. He made his debut for the club, coming on as a 66th-minute substitute, in a 4–4 draw against

FC Luzern Fussball-Club Luzern (), or simply abbreviated to FCL, is a Swiss sports club based in Lucerne (german: Luzern). It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Super League, the top tier of the Swiss football league s ...

on 5 February 2017. Two weeks later on 19 February 2017, Taiwo made his first start for Lausanne, starting the whole game, in a 4–3 loss against

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

. However, he suffered an injury that saw him out for two matches. It wasn't until on 23 April 2017 when Taiwo returned to the starting line–up, in a 1–0 win against Sion. Despite this, he continued remain in the first team, playing in the left–back position for the rest of the 2016–17 season. Following this, Taiwo left Lausanne when his contract expired at the end of the 2016–17 season.

AFC Eskilstuna

It was announced on 9 August 2017 that Taiwo joined Allsvenskan side

AFC Eskilstuna Athletic Football Club Eskilstuna, also known as AFC Eskilstuna or simply AFC, is a Swedish football club located in Eskilstuna. The club has previously been known under the names FC Café Opera and Väsby United before switching ownership and t ...

for the remainder of the season. He made his debut for the club, starting the whole game in the left–back position, in a 3–1 win against

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal pop ...

on 19 August 2017. Taiwo became a first team regular for AFC Eskilstuna, playing in either the left–back and centre–back positions. However, he was unable to help the club avoid relegation from Allsvenskan. At the end of the 2017 season, Taiwo went on to make nine appearances in all competitions.

Rovaniemen Palloseura

On 7 March 2018, Taiwo joined

Veikkausliiga Veikkausliiga (; sv, Tipsligan) is the premier division of Finnish football, the highest tier of the Finnish football league structure, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikka ...

side Rovaniemen Palloseura for the 2018 season after leaving AFC Eskilstuna. He made his debut for the club in the opening game of the season against IFK Mariehamn and kept a clean sheet, as Rovaniemen Palloseura won 2–0. This was followed up by keeping five clean sheets in the next five matches. Since making his debut for the club, Taiwo quickly established himself in the starting eleven, playing in the left–back position. At times, he played four times in the centre–back position. It wasn't until on 4 August 2018 when Taiwo scored his first goal against his former club, HJK Helsinki, as Rovaniemen Palloseura drew 2–2. Despite missing one match, he went on to make thirty–two appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Following this, Taiwo signed a contract extension with the club for another season. At the start of the 2019 season, Taiwo captained Rovaniemen Palloseura in the first two months to the season. He continued to regain his first team place, playing in the left–back position. However, in a match against

KPV The KPV-14.5 heavy machine gun (KPV is an initialism for Krupnokaliberniy Pulemyot Vladimirova (Large-caliber Machine gun Vladimirov), in Russian as Крупнокалиберный Пулемёт Владимирова, or КПВ) is a Soviet de ...

on 29 June 2019, Taiwo received a straight red card in the 29th minute, as the club drew 0–0. After the match, he had his two match suspension lifted and returned to the starting line–up in a follow–up match. It wasn't until on 21 September 2019 when Taiwo scored his first goal of the season, in a 4–1 loss against KPV. At the end of the 2019 season, he went on to make thirty–one appearances and scoring once in all competitions.

Later career

On 3 July 2020, Taiwo signed for

Cypriot First Division The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...

club Doxa Katokopias after leaving ROPS. However, he failed to make a single appearances for the club and it was announced on 22 October 2020 that Taiwo joined American club Palm Beach Stars in the

United Premier Soccer League The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is an American soccer league that was founded in Santa Ana in Southern California, with teams in regionalized conferences throughout the United States, and recently Canada and Mexico. The league was found ...

. In December 2021, Taiwo returned for a third spell in Finland when he joined third tier side Salon Palloilijat. Having made only eight appearances in all competitions for the club, Taiwo found himself released in June 2022.

International career

Youth career

In May 2005, Taiwo was called up to the Nigeria U20 squad for the

FIFA World Youth Championship The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members’ men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 wh ...

. He played his first match of the tournament against Brazil U20 and helped the U20 side keep a clean sheet, in a 0–0 draw on 12 June 2005. Taiwo then helped Nigeria U20 go through to the knockout stage after beating Switzerland U20 3–0 on Matchday Three. In a follow–up match, he scored his first goal of the tournament, in a 1–0 win against Ukraine U20 to progress to the next round. In the quarter–final match against Netherlands U20, Taiwo played the whole game which led to penalty shootout, and successfully converted the penalties, including the winning one to send the U20 side to the semi–finals. In the semi–finals against Morocco U20, he scored his second goal of the tournament, in a 3–0 win. In the

against Argentina U20, Taiwo started the whole game, as Nigeria U20 lost 2–1. Following the tournament, he was named the third best player in the tournament behind

Mikel John Obi Mikel John Obi (born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna; 22 April 1987) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Mikel began his career with local club Plateau United, before joining Norwegian club Lyn at th ...

and

Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...

. In July 2008, there were questions whether Taiwo would be included in the Nigeria U23's squad for the Summer Olympics in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, China. It was confirmed on three separate times that he would not be included in the squad in the end. Unfortunately in his absent, Nigeria U23 would later earn a silver medal after losing 1–0 against Argentina U23.

Senior career

Having previously been called up to the

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

squad throughout the earliest 2004, Taiwo made his debut for the senior team, starting a match, in a 2–1 loss against

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

on 17 November 2004. In January 2006, Taiwo was called up to the Nigeria squad for the African Cup of Nations in Egypt. He started the tournament well by scoring the national side's first goal of the tournament, in a 1–0 win against

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

. He then helped Nigeria win the next two matches to help the national side go through to the knockout stage. Taiwo played the whole game against

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

in the quarter–final, which led to penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw, and successfully converted the penalty, as Nigeria won 6–5 in the shootout. He later helped the national side finish third place in the tournament after beating

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

1–0 in the third place play–off. A year later on 17 June 2007, Taiwo then played an important role for Nigeria when he scored his second national team goal, in a 3–1 win against

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesAfrican Cup of Nations. Taiwo then scored his third Nigeria goal, in a 1–0 win against Switerzland on 19 November 2007. In December 2007, he was called up to the national team squad for the

tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

. Taiwo eventually made it to the 23 men squad the following month. He started in all four matches in the African Cup of Nations, as Nigeria were eliminated in the quarter–finals following a 2–1 loss against

. Following the conclusion to the Africa Cup of Nations, Taiwo kept Nigeria six consecutive clean sheets in the World Cup Qualifying Round between 1 June 2008 and 1 September 2008. However, he was sent–off for a second bookable offence, in a 0–0 draw against

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

on 11 February 2009. Taiwo later helped Nigeria qualify for the

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...

after beating

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

3–2 on 14 November 2009. In January 2010, Taiwo made the Nigeria cut when he was called up to the national team squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. Taiwo started the whole game on Matchday 1 Group Stage, in a 3–1 loss against

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

on 12 January 2010. However, he remained on the substitute bench in Nigeria's next four matches, with Elderson Echiéjilé preferred in the left–back position. It wasn't until on 30 January 2010 when Taiwo returned to the starting line–up against

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

for the third place play–offs and helped the national team side win 1–0 to earn a bronze medal. In April 2010, Taiwo were among forty–four players to be shortlisted for the Nigeria squad ahead of the

. Eventually, he made the cut to be in the World Cup squad after Manager

Lars Lagerbäck Lars Edvin "Lasse" Lagerbäck (; born 16 July 1948) is a Swedish football manager and former player, who is the technical director of the Iceland national football team. Lagerbäck has managed a number of national teams prior to his current pos ...

cut the squad to 23. Taiwo made his World Cup debut against

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

on 12 June 2010 and started a match before suffering an injury in the 74th minute, resulting in him being substituted. After the match, he quickly recovered from his injury following an operation and returned to the starting line–up against

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

and played 55 minutes before being substituted, as the national team lost 2–1. Following this, Taiwo was once again injured and sidelined for the follow–up against

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

, resulting in Nigeria's elimination following a 2–2 draw. Following the end of the World Cup, Taiwo featured four times in the African Cup of Nations qualification, as Nigeria were eliminated in the qualification round. Between 2004 and 2012, he played 53 games for the national team and scored 5 goals. Having not played for Nigeria since 2012, Manager

Stephen Keshi Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (23 January 1962 – 7 June 2016) was a Nigerian football player and manager. During his playing career, Keshi played as a defender and earned 60 caps for the Nigeria national team, making him the nation's second-most ...

said in 2012 about Taiwo, saying: "I am still working on my list but Taiwo, like other players, is under consideration."

Career statistics

Club

:''¹ Includes

Trophée des champions The Trophée des Champions (, ) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the super cups found in many other countries. His ...

International

International goals

Personal life

Growing up, Taiwo has two sisters and three brothers. He is married to his wife, Nimota, and together, they have two children. Taiwo is a Muslim. When he first moved to France, Taiwo began learning French and manage to speak the language fluently. He then learned Ukrainian during his brief time at

. In April 2014, Taiwo had his house seized by the French authorities for not paying his debt.

Honours

Marseille * Ligue 1: 2009–10 * Coupe de la Ligue: 2009–10,

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

: 2010 * UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005 Nigeria * Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2006 Individual * CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year: 2006 *

CAF Team of the Year The CAF Team of the Year is an annual football award given by the Confederation of African Football during the CAF Awards. In 2007, the CAF did not choose the team of the year, but rather the best ten players of the last fifty years. The ten pla ...

: 2006,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, 2010, 2011 * Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2007–08, 2008–09,

References

External links