Being a twin is not a taboo in Nigeria or what one should be ashamed of.

But for former Super Eagles defender, Taye Taiwo, his twin status over the years brought him some level of ridicule and embarrassment.

In an interview with former Super Eagles media officer, Colin Udoh, the former Olympique Marseille defender revealed the truth about his twin who he said was a girl (not a male as mostly believed) who died several years ago at a very tender age.

According to Taiwo, whose ferocious left-footed shots made him a fans’ delight, he was told by his father that they lost his twin sister while they were still very young.

Reports in the media at different times had claimed that Taye Taiwo was inexplicably ten years younger than his twin ‘brother’, indicating that the footballer lied about his age.

The damning reports over the years had seen many fans assume that Taye Taiwo was involved in age cheating. But having chosen to ignore the reports over the years, he cleared the air on the matter in the recent Instagram Live interview.

Taye Taiwo said: “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. So how come since Taye Taiwo started playing football, going to the World Cup, and there is no picture of my twin?”

Taiwo, who also played for English side, Queen’s Park Rangers, shared his ordeal about the rumour even in England where he was embarrassingly questioned by a journalist.

“When I was in London, they started doing a joke around. A journalist came to the training ground to ask me if I have a twin. I was like what kind of question is that? I don’t have. I was feeling very bad though. But it’s a free world, “he concluded.

Taye Taiwo’s father, Salisu Taiwo, died in March 2020. His mother died several years ago.

Taye Taiwo shot into the limelight at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands where he was voted as the third-best player behind Lionel Messi and his Nigerian compatriot, John Obi Mikel

Since making his mark on the domestic scene with Lobi Stars, Taye Taiwo, 35, has played for many European teams including AC Milan, Marseille, Dynamo Kyiv, and HJK Helsinki.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/football/389886-what-my-father-told-me-about-my-twin-sister-taye-taiwo.html