Italian legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon named his son after Cameroun and Africa’s greatest Thomas N’Kono

The legendary Cameroun goalkeeper Thomas N’Kono

* I remember the first game against Argentina, Cameroun won thanks to his saves

* Everyone was watching Diego Maradona and Roger Milla, but I was fascinated by him

* When N’Kono retired the Italian keeper played in his farewell match in Cameroon

By Duncan Mlanjira

Not many European players or elsewhere come in the open to reveal that they idolize African stars but Italian legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, did just that — saying he decided to be a goalkeeper after being inspired by Cameroun greatest, Thomas N’Kono.

He also revealed that he named his son Thomas after one of Africa’s greatest legend, who is working in a coaching capacity at Espanyol, Spain.

A statement trending on social media says: “When I was a little, someone legendary entered my life, Thomas N’Kono,” says the legend, who still harbours the dream to play at the 2022 World Cup.

“I saw him play at the Italy World Cup in 1990. I remember the first game against Argentina, Cameroun won thanks to his saves. Everyone was watching Diego Maradona and Roger Milla, but I was fascinated by him.

“That day I decided to be a goalkeeper — I even went on to name my son Louis Thomas.”

In an interview with the BBC in 2017, Buffon said he used to play as an attacker but N’Kono’s heroics in his third World Cup changed his mind.

“It was the things he did for Cameroon during that World Cup that inspired me to become a goalkeeper myself,” said the Italian of the Camerounian, whose team became the first African side to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup, where they were unluckily defeated 3-2 by England.

The BBC reported in 2017 that when N’Kono retired he asked the Italian keeper to play in his farewell match — in Cameroon.

N’Kono told the BBC: “I first met him when he was 20 and he was with Parma. A year later, I asked him to play in my farewell game in Cameroon. He said ‘yes, no problem’, but I never thought he would come.

“Then, at the last minute, he called me to say he was at the airport about to come to Cameroon. It was amazing.”

N’Kono spent the bulk of his career with Spanish side Espanyol and retired when he was at 40 but 42-year-old Buffon is still at the top of his game.

In an interview with goal.com in February this year, N’Kona revealed that even 20 years after that testimonial in Cameroun, the two are still active in the world of footbal.  

“I’ve told Buffon that he needs to have his testimonial soon because I need to go to it and take to the pitch, even if just for two minutes!” N’Kono joked with goal.com.

“I remember when Buffon was starting out at Parma and was at the 1998 World Cup in France. I came across Buffon with Patrick M’Boma and he told me ‘this is the future goalkeeper of the Italian national team’.”

“So, I asked him ‘will you come to my testimonial?’ and Buffon replied by saying that he would love to. I thought it was a joke, though, and didn’t think he would come,” N’Kono recalled.

“Later, we played Italy in the World Cup and I repeated the question of ‘are you coming to my testimonial, then?’ and he said again that he would, but that I should ask his club if he could come.

“He then signed for Juventus and I sent an invitation to the club, but I never received a reply. The day that we were set to travel to Cameroon for the testimonial match, he called me just before the flight.

“‘I’m in Paris’, he told me. ‘What do you mean you’re in Paris?’ I replied and he said ‘yes, I’m coming to your match’. I drove to the other airport to find him and that’s how we both went together to my match in Cameroon. From there, a great friendship was born.

“When he became a father, he named his son Louis Thomas after me. He never told me that and I found out through the press, which was a great surprise and something I’ll always be grateful for.”

Last week, Buffon — who won the World Cup in 2006 — told Football Italia that he cheered on his compatriots at the Euros earlier this summer.

“I watched the final from home with my children, it was such a great joy. It was nice to see them smile after they had cried after the elimination from the World Cup qualifiers against Sweden. I had also cried at San Siro.”

For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Buffon says: “I was looking for somebody who could make me dream,” the 2006 Italy World Cup winner said.

“Mancini has done something extraordinary, and, at 43, I’ll never be the one saying: ‘I am here, give me a call-up,’ but I can dream thanks to the World Cup.

At 42, Buffon has completed a free move to Serie B side Parma from Juventus and will play for the Ducali 20 years after the last time.

“President Kyle Krause asked me if I wanted to return to Parma after the Juventus-Parma in Turin last season,” Buffon told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“In general, that’s not something you’d ask. But he did it and I liked it because I saw a vision. Also, he is American and according to the collective imaginary, America is a dream.

“Otherwise, why do I play? Bring Parma back to Serie A, sure, and then? It’s almost certain Mancini won’t give me a call-up, he has his men and his group, but I need to know there will be a World Cup to keep dreaming, said Buffon, whose dream is to bring Parma back to Serie A.