Super Eagles legend Taribo West has narrated the story behind switching from football to becoming a 'Man of God' and establishing a church of his own.
The tough-tackling defender is remembered for his unique colourful hairstyle and stood out amongst other centre-backs.
West is one of the most successful Nigerian defenders in history, as he won the French Ligue 1 title with Auxerre in 1996, before moving to the Italian Serie A to join Inter Milan, where he won the UEFA Cup in 1998.
The Nigerian defender had a short spell with AC Milan before moving to the English Premier League to join Derby County in 2000.
In a chat with BBC, the former Super Eagles defender tells the story of how he met God and switched from football, according to Complete Sports.
"Why would I switch from being a football player to becoming a pastor? I saw God one-on-one. That’s where my transition started; From the field to the pulpit," he said.
"We were celebrating. In the middle of that, a [strange] woman stumbled into me and said: ‘Sir, please may I know your name?’
The former Nigerian international went further to uncover how the encounter he had with the strange woman ended and how he eventually heeded God's voice.
The former Inter Milan is now one of the most popular Pastors in Nigeria, and he's focused on helping young footballers through his religion.
“I saw God, one-on-one.”
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) August 21, 2021
Nigerian pastor and former professional footballer, Taribo West, talks about the moment he decided to switch from being a footballer to becoming a pastor.
????: #BBCSportsAfrica pic.twitter.com/WwZsRPWqvq
