Taye Taiye Background
Taye Taiwo was born to his father Salisu Taiwo, and his mother, Mrs. Taiwo, in Lagos and grew up in the Isheri-Idimu area of Alimosho local government. He grew up with two sisters and three brothers in the area while chasing his dream of becoming a professional footballer. Taye Ismaila Taiwo was born on 16 April 1985, and he is currently 39 years old as of 2025. “Taye” is the first child of a twin birth in the Yoruba culture. Unfortunately, Taye Taiwo never got to meet his twin sister, who died during birth, according to the story his father told him.
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In an interview with former Super Eagles media officer, Colin Udoh, Taye Taiwo debunked the false claims about him and his background especially with regards to his late twin sister.
“People don’t even know the background of someone, but they just write what they don’t know about. When I was younger, my father told me that I was a twin, but the second was a girl, and we lost her”
Taye Taiwo lost his father in 2020, but his mother died many years before his father passed on. His mother likely died during his active days while playing in Europe.
Career
Taye Taiwo started his career at Nigeria Premier Football League sides Gabros International before he joined Lobi Stars of Makurdi. He developed his skills as a 20-year-old footballer in the league for a few years before he moved to Europe.
His skill set attracted some European clubs, but Marseille acted quickly and got the services of the young defender for a fee in the region of €200,00 on a three-year contract with the French Ligue 1 club in 2005. Marseille signed Taiwo as a replacement for 1998 World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu, who left the club for Bayern Munich. However, Taiye Taiwo did not join Marseille until the end of January 2006.
Taye Taiwo made his debut for Marseille in a 2-1 win over Lens. He started the match and played for just over an hour before he was substituted. While his performance in the first half was commendable, he got lost in the second half as he struggled with positioning in defense. French football magazine Foot Marseille succinctly described his debut for Marseille.
“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.”
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He established himself as Marseille’s first-choice left-back the following season and scored his first goal for the club in the 3-2 win over Young Boys in the first leg of the UEFA Intertoto Cup third round. Taye Taiwo also provided the assist to Samir Nasri’s goal in the second leg as Marseille progressed to the next round with a 5-3 aggregate scoreline.
Taye Taiwo helped Marseille win the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2005 with a 5-3 aggregate win over Deportivo La Coruna and became one of the key players in the squad alongside former French winger Franck Ribery, former Super Eagles midfielder Wilson Oruma, Sabri Lamouchi, and Andrés Mendoza.
He continued at Marseille for four years and won a couple of trophies with the club, including the Ligue 1, Coupe de la Ligue, and Trophée des Champions. His time at Marseille came to an end after Serie A heavyweight AC Milan came calling.
AC Milan and Queens Park Rangers
Taye Taiwo joined AC Milan in the summer of 2011 after six seasons at Marseille. It was meant to be a step-up in his career, but his Milan adventure did not go as he would have desired. He struggled with injuries and consequently with game time. Taye Taiwo made just eight appearances for the club before joining Queens Park Rangers on loan during the January 2012 transfer window ron loan with an option to buy for £3.5 million. He made his debut for the club in the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa but scored his first goal – a fantastic left-footed free-kick from 27 yards in the 3-1 loss to Sunderland.
Manchester United fans still nurse a grudge against Taye Taiwo for failing to stop Sergio Aguero from taking the shot that won the league for Manchester City over the Red Devils in the last game of the season, which ended 3-2. Despite losing, Queens Park Rangers survived relegation after Bolton Wanderers failed to secure a win over Stoke City. Taye Taiwo returned to AC Milan at the end of the season after Queens Park Rangers decided against signing him.
Dynamo Kyiv requested the services of Taye Taiwo after the defender decided to return to the club. He went on another loan spell to the Ukrainian club and featured in 31 matches with a goal to his name before making a permanent move to Turkey from AC Milan.
Taye Taiwo had quite a nomadic career. He played for Bursaspor in the Turkish Super League for two years before signing a one-year deal with HJK Helsinki in Finland. He also played Lausanne-Sport, AFC Eskilstuna, and Rovaniemen Palloseura.
Taye Taiwo joined Doxa Katokopias in 2020, where he did not play any matches for the Cyprus side. He went on to sign for Palm Beach Stars in the United Premier Soccer League, where he made just one appearance before moving to Italy to sign for Sant’Angelo. His last known club was Salon Palloilijat in the third division of the Finnish league.
Taye Taiwo Super Eagles “Rocket Launcher”
Before Taye Taiwo got his first invitation to the Super Eagles, he proved himself at the 2005 World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. He helped the Flying Eagles to a second-place finish behind winners Argentina. Taiwo scored two goals en route to the final and finished as the third-best place behind Mikel John Obi and Lionel Messi, who claimed the Golden Ball award.
Taiye Taiwo’s transition to the Super Eagles was seamless. He was in a prime position to take the left-back position, and he made it his own for many years in the team. He would have won a silver medal at the Beijing Olympic Games, but missed out on Samson Sia Sia’s team.
However, Taye Taiwo grew into his role as Super Eagles’ first-choice left-back and performed well during his eight-year stint with the national team. He made his debut for the Super Eagles in a 2-1 loss to South Africa in 2004.
Taye Taiwo scored his first goal for the team in the 1-0 win over Ghana at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. The defender also also instrumental as the Super Eagles progressed to the knockout stages and converted his spot kick in the 6-5 win over Tunisia in the quarter-final.
He represented Nigeria at the 2008 and 2010 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He made his World Cup debut against Argentina as the Super Eagles lost 1-0. Taye Taiwo played for over 70 minutes before he was taken off after sustaining an injury. However, he played in the 2-1 loss to Greece in the second match before missing out in the final group match against South Korea.
Taye Taiwo’s time at the Super Eagles came to an end after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. The sharpshooter scored five goals in 53 appearances for the Super Eagles.
Career Achievements
Marseille
- Ligue 1: 2009–10
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2009–10, 2010–11
- Trophée des Champions: 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: 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011
- Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
- Veikkausliiga Player of the Month: May 2017.
- Veikkausliiga Team of the Year: 2016, 2018.
Marseille inducts Taye Taiwo into Hall of Fame
In February 2025, Marseille inducted Taye Taiwo into its”Club of Legends,” which recognises significant contributions of former players of the club. Marseille’s president Pablo Fernández Longoria and the former forward and club advisor Fabrizio Ravanelli presented Taye Taiwo with the honour.
Taye Taiwo posted the picture and a note of appreciation on his Instagram page.
Thank you so much,Mr. President marseille, for inviting me to watch this wonderful match. As an ex-player for marseille I’m extremely proud of what it is …. Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Président de Marseille, de m’avoir invité à assister à ce magnifique match. En tant qu’ancien joueur de Marseille, je suis extrêmement fier de ce que c’est.🥰🤍💙🇳🇬👑❤️ always Alhamdulilah
Net Worth
According to online sources, Taye Taiwo’s net worth is estimated to be about $6 million. The former Super Eagles made his money while playing in Europe for more than a decade. Taye Taiwo has a hotel in Lagos which costs over $3 billion.
Who is Taye Taiwo’s wife?
Taye Taiwo is married to a Nigerian woman known as Nifemi, and the couple has been married for a while. On her birthday in 2021, Taye Taiwo penned a heartfelt love note to her on his Instagram page.
“Happy birthday my beautiful wife nifemi God bless you and make the rest of your life the best of it….keep basking in the glory of God..l celebrate you thank you for always be there I love you more 🥰🤩♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️🎁🎊🍾🎂🎉💯❤🤩🥰”
Taye Taiwo Children
The former Super Eagles defender is blessed with two kids, a boy and girl. Taye Taiwo posted a birthday message on his Instagram page to celebrate his daughter on her birthday.
Happy B day to you, sweethear, my daughter. may Allah continue to bless and grant you more beautiful years 🙏. I always love you, Princess T, always Alhamdulilah 💖 ♥️🎂🎊😍✨️🎉❤️🎂🎂
Is Taye Taiwo on Instagram? Yes, the former Super Eagles defender is very active on the platform and has over 99,000 followers on his page.
Does Taye Taiwo speak French?
Yes, Taye Taiwo is very fluent in French language, having spent six years in the country as a Marseille player and legend.
