Thomas N'Kono explained

Thomas N'Kono
Birth Date:20 July 1955
Birth Place:Dizangue, Cameroon
Height:1.83 m
Position:Goalkeeper
Youthclubs1:Éclair Douala
Years1:1974–1975
Caps1:3
Goals1:0
Years2:1975–1976
Caps2:17
Goals2:0
Years3:1976–1982
Caps3:102
Goals3:0
Years4:1982–1990
Caps4:272
Goals4:0
Years5:1991–1993
Caps5:70
Goals5:0
Years6:1994
Caps6:0
Goals6:0
Years7:1994–1997
Caps7:92
Goals7:0
Totalcaps:556
Totalgoals:0
Nationalyears1:1975–1994
Nationalcaps1:63
Nationalgoals1:0
Manageryears1:2009
Managerclubs1:Cameroon

Thomas N'Kono (born 20 July 1956) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer. One of the greatest goalkeepers from the continent of Africa, he was mainly associated with Espanyol, whom he represented for almost a decade playing more than 300 official matches.[1]

N'Kono appeared for the Cameroon national team in three World Cups, and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Playing career

Club

N'Kono was born in Dizangue. After playing in his country with Canon Yaoundé and Tonnerre Yaoundé he moved to Spain with RCD Español in 1982, after solid performances in the FIFA World Cup played in that country; he received the France Football African Footballer of the Year award in that year, and also in 1979.[2]

N'Kono hardly ever missed a game while with the Catalans, going on to make 333 competitive appearances.[3] In the 1988–89 season, however, he was not able to help prevent the team's La Liga relegation, and was eventually replaced by Vicente Biurrun.[2]

N'Kono played three more years in Spain, incidentally also in Catalonia, with CE Sabadell FC (Segunda División)[4] and CE L'Hospitalet.[5] He retired in his 40s at Club Bolívar from Bolivia, and subsequently returned to his main club as a goalkeeping coach, helping develop young talent and countryman Carlos Kameni.[6] [7]

N'Kono placed second in IFFHS' "African Goalkeeper of the Century" elections, behind Joseph-Antoine Bell.[8]

International

A Cameroonian international for almost two decades, N'Kono played at three World Cups: 1982, 1990 and 1994. At the first two, he was the undisputed first-choice as the Indomitable Lions went out in the group stage without losing a match and exited in the quarter-final against England respectively.[9]

The 37-year-old N'Kono was called as backup to Bell in the last minute of the 1994 edition's preparations and did not play.[10]

Coaching career

N'Kono served as assistant coach to the Cameroon national team, at the same time as being goalkeeping coach at former club Espanyol.[11] In 2002, he was arrested by Malian police for allegedly using "black magic", prior to the African Cup of Nations semi-final against Mali (3–0 win). He was dragged onto the running track after stepping onto the pitch at the 26 March Stadium alongside coach Winfried Schäfer,[12] and eventually received a one-year ban,[13] which was then lifted, although he was not allowed to sit on the bench for the final;[14] the former also received an apology from the office of the Malian president.[15]

N'Kono, who was the national side's goalkeepers coach, also worked briefly as interim manager after German Otto Pfister resigned in protest.[16] The following month, as Paul Le Guen took the reins of the team, he was reset in his old post.[17] [18]

Style of play

N'Kono was a tall, strong, dynamic and athletic goalkeeper, who was known in particular for his speed, agility, reactions, positioning, and ability to produce spectacular and acrobatic saves. One of his most notable characteristics was his ability to come out and punch the ball away with power when crosses were delivered into the area; his unique, instinctive and aggressive style inspired Gianluigi Buffon as a youngster.[19] [20] [21]

A commanding presence in goal, N'Kono also stood out for his composure, confidence and leadership throughout his career. In addition to his goalkeeping abilities, he was also known for his moustache and for wearing long trackpants instead of shorts; furthermore, he also had a penchant for performing flamboyant and acrobatic celebrations during matches. Unlike compatriot Bell, he preferred to position himself in deeper areas, rather than rushing out to sweep up the ball.[22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]

Legacy

Buffon declared that he decided to play in the goalkeeping position after seeing N'Kono's performances at the 1990 World Cup. In addition, he named his first son Louis Thomas in the Cameroonian's honour.[24] [33]

Honours

Canon Yaoundé

1974, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982[34]

1978,[35] 1980[36]

Espanyol

Bolívar

1996, 1997[38]

Cameroon

1984;[39] Runner-up 1986[40]

Individual

1979, 1982[41]

1998[42]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tommy N'KONO. Hall of Fame Perico. es. 21 May 2009. 15 December 2009.
  2. News: N'Kono: "Aún no he podido ver repetida la final de la UEFA ante el Bayer Leverkusen". N'Kono: "I still have not been able to watch that UEFA final against Bayer Leverkusen again". El Confidencial. Albert. Ortega. es. 12 April 2021. 5 January 2022.
  3. Web site: La previa del Espanyol-Sabadell. Espanyol-Sabadell preview. RCD Espanyol. es. 19 February 2021. 29 April 2021.
  4. News: N'Kono ficha a los 35 años por el Sabadell. N'Kono signs for Sabadell at the age of 35. El País. es. 26 June 1991. 5 January 2022.
  5. News: N'Kono: "Estoy preparado para jugar el Mundial". N'Kono: "I am ready to play the World Cup". Mundo Deportivo. es. 30 January 1994. 11 July 2015.
  6. Web site: Kameni keeps Espanyol clean. BBC Sport. Phil. Minshull. 27 December 2004. 15 December 2009.
  7. News: De la Peña anuncia el final de su carrera profesional. De la Peña announces end of professional career. El Mundo. es. 19 May 2011. 13 December 2011.
  8. Web site: IFFHS' Century Elections. RSSSF. Karel. Stokkermans. 30 January 2000. 25 December 2009.
  9. News: England's performance at Italia 90 World Cup is venerated too much. The Guardian. Jonathan. Wilson. 15 May 2014. 5 November 2020.
  10. News: LA XVe COUPE DU MONDE DE FOOTBALL Eternel Cameroun Les "Lions", toujours là et toujours la même pagaille. XV FOOTBALL WORLD CUP Eternal Cameroon The "Lions", always there and always the same mess. Le Monde. fr. 19 June 1994. 5 November 2020.
  11. Book: Hawkey, Ian. Feet of the Chameleon: The Story of African Football. Portico. 2010. 263.
  12. Web site: Nkono in 'black magic' claim. BBC Sport. 7 February 2002. 15 December 2009.
  13. Web site: Nkono gets one-year ban. BBC Sport. 9 February 2002. 15 December 2009.
  14. Web site: Nkono ban lifted. BBC Sport. 16 April 2002. 15 December 2009.
  15. Book: Hawkey, Ian. Feet of the Chameleon: The Story of African Football. Portico. 2010. 264.
  16. Web site: Nkono is Cameroon caretaker. BBC Sport. 2 June 2009. 15 December 2009.
  17. Web site: Cameroun: Le Guen garde N'Kono. Cameroon: Le Guen keeps N'Kono. Sport Ivoire. fr. 29 July 2009. 11 April 2018.
  18. Web site: Songo'o replaces N'Kono as Lions goalkeeping coach. Post Newsline. 19 February 2010. 11 April 2018.
  19. Web site: Nkono, the acrobatic pioneer. FIFA. 5 August 2008. 19 October 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20161020173201/http://www.fifa.com/live-scores/news/y=2008/m=8/news=nkono-the-acrobatic-pioneer-838436.html. 20 October 2016.
  20. Web site: Buffon rispolvera i ricordi, da N'kono al Parma e quel rigore-scudetto contro la Juve: "Pensai che l'arbitro...". Buffon dusts off his memories, from N'Kono to Parma and that title-deciding penalty against Juve: "I thought that the ref...". Goal. it. 27 February 2009. 4 September 2018.
  21. News: N'Kono c.t. del Camerun – Il mito che ispirò Buffon. N'Kono Cameroon h.c. – The legend who inspired Buffon. La Gazzetta dello Sport. Valerio. Clari. it. 3 June 2009. 19 October 2016.
  22. Web site: Italia-Camerun e l'accusa di combine. Italy-Cameroon and the match-fixing accusations. Mediaset. it. 2 March 2010. 19 October 2016.
  23. News: Vi ricordate N'Kono? Noi vi diciamo come vive. Do you remember N'Kono? We'll tell you how he lives. Corriere dello Sport. Pietro. Cabras. it. 23 April 2012. 19 October 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130423145347/http://www.corrieredellosport.it/334/2012/04/23-235232/Vi+ricordate+N%27Kono%3F+Noi+vi+diciamo+come+vive. 23 April 2013.
  24. Web site: Buffon: A big save is as important as a goal. FIFA. 6 May 2013. 5 May 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130606235939/http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/news/newsid=2065717/. 6 June 2013.
  25. News: Buffon: "Contro i portieri regole disumane". Buffon: "Inhumane regulations against goalkeepers". Corriere dello Sport. it. 27 December 2013. 19 October 2016. dead. https://archive.today/20160211000306/http://www.corrieredellosport.it/calcio/serie_a/juve/2013/12/27-345420/Buffon:+%C2%ABContro+i+portieri+regole+disumane%C2%BB. 11 February 2016.
  26. Web site: Best XI of the World Cup's greatest goalkeepers. ESPN FC. James. Horncastle. 15 May 2014. 19 October 2016.
  27. Web site: Mondiali, -1: da Yashin a Buffon, i portieri nella storia. World Cup, one day left: from Yashin to Buffon, the goalkeepers who made history. Sky Sport. it. 11 June 2014. 19 October 2016.
  28. Web site: Qui sont les idoles de vos idoles?. Who are the idols of your idols?. FIFA. fr. 19 February 2016. 19 October 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160825044153/http://fr.fifa.com/photos/galleries/y=2016/m=2/gallery=qui-sont-les-idoles-de-vos-idoles-2766051.html#2766062. 25 August 2016.
  29. Web site: Nkono: I'm honoured to be Buffon's inspiration. FIFA. 21 March 2016. 19 October 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160402163034/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2016/m=3/news=nkono-i-m-honoured-to-be-buffon-s-inspiration-2771446.html. 2 April 2016.
  30. News: Why is David de Gea exceptional for United and indifferent for Spain?. The Guardian. Jonathan. Wilson. 7 September 2018. 4 April 2021.
  31. Web site: Letter to my younger self. The Players' Tribune. Gianluigi. Buffon. 14 October 2019. 14 October 2019.
  32. Book: Velázquez de León, Mauricio. 20 Soccer Legends. 2010. Rosen Publishing. New York. 978-1-4358-9136-4. 32. First.
  33. News: "Difficile de garder notre titre". "Hard to defend our title". Le Figaro. fr. 14 June 2010. 18 December 2013.
  34. Web site: Cameroon – List of Champions. RSSSF. Hans. Schöggl. 24 June 2016.
  35. Web site: African Club Competitions 1978. RSSSF. Eric. Boesenberg. 24 June 2016.
  36. Web site: African Club Competitions 1980. RSSSF. Eric. Boesenberg. 24 June 2016.
  37. Web site: Leverkusen 3–0 Espanyol. UEFA. 18 May 1988. 24 June 2016.
  38. News: N'Kono y sus vivencias en Bolivia, donde es un héroe con récord. N’Kono and his experiences in Bolivia, where he is a heroe with a record. Diario AS. Alberto. Martínez. es. 21 May 2016. 24 June 2016.
  39. Web site: African Nations Cup 1984. RSSSF. Eric. Boesenberg. Karel. Stokkermans. François. Mazet. 24 June 2016.
  40. Web site: African Nations Cup 1986. RSSSF. Eric. Boesenberg. François. Mazet. Karel. Stokkermans. Osvaldo José. Gorgazzi. 24 June 2016.
  41. Web site: African Player of the Year. RSSSF. José Luis. Pierrend. 24 June 2016.
  42. Web site: Ramos, Balboa named to MasterCard CONCACAF 20th Century team.. Soccer Times. Jerry. Langdon. 15 May 1998. 5 February 2024. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/19990221145250/http://www.soccertimes.com/international/1998/may15.htm. 21 February 1999.
  43. Web site: IFFHS All Time Europe men's Dream Team. International Federation of Football History & Statistics. 29 May 2021. 2 October 2021.

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