Player File #P00015Position: GoalkeeperCareer: 1973—1997 · 25 seasons, 5 countriesStatus: retired · file sealed

Player File · #P00015

N'Kono: Twenty Years Behind the Line

Name: Thomas N'Kono · career goalkeeper attribute snapshot (1973—1997)
Creator: BallFact
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The register that BallFact Case 006 used to rehabilitate Cameroon 1990 holds two famous ages: a 38-year-old scorer, whom we have since filed, and a 34-year-old behind the line. This file is about the latter. N'Kono's ledger is neither a ridge that slides after a young peak nor an uphill climb — it is a plateau: from 72 at seventeen into a 76 shelf he held for 14 seasons, anchored on 1982, and then a ten-year, gentle step down.

Ledger: 1973—1997 · 25 seasons Scale 1–99 · Attributes L3 (editorial) · Facts L1/L2 Signed: Bong Weng · Archivist

PROLOGUE

Page one of the file

Thomas N'Kono, born 1956, a Cameroonian goalkeeper, 180 cm tall. BallFact has built a season-by-season file of his 25 seasons: ten domestic ones at Canon Yaoundé to start, eight at Espanyol in La Liga, then Colombia, Mexico, Bolivia and Spain's B tier — he kept going until 1997, at forty.

When BallFact's Case 006 rehabilitated Cameroon 1990, the register audit fixed on two ages: 38, belonging to the four-goal Milla (since filed as Player File #P00014), and "a 34-year-old behind the line" — N'Kono. He was already Cameroon's starting goalkeeper in 1982, at a World Cup whose group they exited unbeaten, on goals scored only, with the eventual champion in it. This file keeps the numbers: his rating climbs from 72 at seventeen into a 76 shelf and stands within 74—76 for 14 seasons — not a ridge, not a cliff, a plateau unmoved for twenty years.

seasons filed

league countries

1982

starting keeper at the World Cup · Case 006 L1

still behind the line in 1990 · Case 006 L1

seasons on one shelf · recomputable

THE LEDGER

Year-by-year attribute matrix · 1973—1997

★ = peak seasons (including 1982, the World Cup year). Unlike the Cantona and Zidane files, this matrix is editorial derivation (L3): anchored on the 1982 World Cup and interpolated across the keeper attribute group — not solved from any game database. Two steps, though, are machine-verified cell-by-cell against the database before this page is allowed to exist: that a peak year is 1982, and that the 74—76 shelf runs 14 seasons. Goalkeepers carry no percentage heat scale; this file renders on the same path as Higuita's. Per-season appearances, goals and standings are not held here, so the matrix omits and the prose never cites them.

Career goalkeeper attribute snapshot · Scale 1–99 · L3File #P00015⬇ Download this file's CSV dataset

Season	Age	MOBILITY				TECHNIQUE												PHYSICAL				DEFENDING							MENTAL							WILL				GOALKEEPER					OVR
		ACC	SPT	AGI	OFF	FIN	LSH	PAS	THR	CRO	SET	SHD	FTO	DRI	HEA	LFT	RFT	STA	STR	DUR	AIR	D1V	MAR	POS	AGR	ZON	INT	PRS	VIS	CMP	CON	LEA	STB	WOR	SHW	HGRL	WTW	DFZ	BIG	SAV	AER	CMD	DIS	ONE	OVR
1973	18	47	47	74	25	25	38	48	68	38	33	56	48	28	48	39	51	65	63	67	71	38	33	25	54	35	48	59	64	70	68	62	69	66	56	30	69	48	66	78	76	66	51	76	72
1974	19	49	49	75	25	25	39	49	69	39	34	57	49	29	49	40	52	67	65	69	73	39	34	25	55	35	49	60	65	71	69	63	70	67	57	30	70	49	67	79	77	67	52	77	73
1975	20	50	50	75	25	25	39	49	69	39	34	58	49	29	49	40	52	68	66	70	74	39	34	25	56	35	49	60	65	71	69	63	70	67	57	30	70	49	67	79	77	67	52	77	73
1976	21	52	52	76	25	25	40	50	70	40	35	59	50	30	50	41	53	70	68	72	76	40	35	25	58	35	50	61	66	72	70	64	71	68	58	30	71	49	67	80	78	68	53	78	74
1977	22	53	53	76	25	25	41	51	71	41	36	60	51	31	51	41	53	71	69	73	77	41	36	26	59	35	51	61	66	72	70	64	71	68	58	30	71	49	67	80	78	68	53	78	74
1978	23	54	54	76	25	25	42	52	72	42	37	61	52	32	52	41	53	72	70	74	78	42	37	27	60	36	52	61	67	72	70	64	71	68	58	30	71	49	67	80	78	68	53	78	74
1979	24	56	56	77	25	25	43	53	73	43	38	63	53	33	53	42	54	74	72	76	80	43	38	28	61	36	53	62	68	73	71	65	72	69	59	30	72	50	68	81	79	69	54	79	75
1980	25	57	57	77	25	25	43	53	73	43	38	63	53	33	53	42	54	75	73	77	81	43	38	28	62	36	53	62	68	73	71	65	72	69	59	30	72	50	68	81	79	69	54	79	75
1981	26	59	59	78	25	25	44	54	74	44	39	65	54	34	54	43	55	77	75	79	83	44	39	29	64	37	54	63	69	74	72	66	73	70	60	30	73	50	69	82	80	70	55	80	76
1982	27	60	60	78	20	20	45	55	75	45	40	66	55	35	55	43	55	78	76	80	84	45	40	30	65	37	55	63	69	74	72	66	73	70	60	30	73	50	69	82	80	70	55	80	76
1982/83	27	59	59	78	25	25	44	54	74	44	39	65	54	34	54	43	55	77	75	79	83	44	39	29	64	37	54	63	69	74	72	66	73	70	60	30	73	50	69	82	80	70	55	80	76
1983/84	28	57	57	78	25	25	43	53	73	43	38	63	53	33	53	43	55	75	73	77	81	43	38	28	62	36	53	62	68	73	71	65	72	69	59	30	72	50	68	82	80	70	55	80	76
1984/85	29	56	56	77	25	25	43	53	73	43	38	63	53	33	53	42	54	74	72	76	80	43	38	28	61	36	53	62	68	73	71	65	72	69	59	30	72	50	68	81	79	69	54	79	75
1985/86	30	54	54	77	25	25	42	52	72	42	37	61	52	32	52	42	54	72	70	74	78	42	37	27	60	36	52	61	67	72	70	64	71	68	58	30	71	49	67	81	79	69	54	79	75
1986/87	31	53	53	76	25	25	41	51	71	41	36	60	51	31	51	41	53	71	69	73	77	41	36	26	59	35	51	61	66	72	70	64	71	68	58	30	71	49	67	80	78	68	53	78	74
1987/88	32	52	52	76	25	25	40	50	70	40	35	59	50	30	50	41	53	70	68	72	76	40	35	25	58	35	50	61	66	72	70	64	71	68	58	30	71	49	67	80	78	68	53	78	74
1988/89	33	50	50	76	25	25	39	49	69	39	34	58	49	29	49	41	53	68	66	70	74	39	34	25	56	35	49	60	65	71	69	63	70	67	57	30	70	49	67	80	78	68	53	78	74
1989/90	34	49	49	75	25	25	39	49	69	39	34	57	49	29	49	40	52	67	65	69	73	39	34	25	55	35	49	60	65	71	69	63	70	67	57	30	70	49	67	79	77	67	52	77	73
1990/91	35	47	47	75	25	25	38	48	68	38	33	56	48	28	48	40	52	65	63	67	71	38	33	25	54	35	48	59	64	70	68	62	69	66	56	30	69	48	66	79	77	67	52	77	73
1991/92	36	46	46	74	25	25	37	47	67	37	32	55	47	27	47	39	51	64	62	66	70	37	32	25	53	35	47	59	64	70	68	62	69	66	56	30	69	48	66	78	76	66	51	76	72
1993	38	45	45	74	25	25	36	46	66	36	31	54	46	26	46	39	51	63	61	65	69	36	31	25	52	35	46	59	64	70	68	62	69	66	56	30	69	48	66	78	76	66	51	76	72
1994	39	43	43	73	25	25	35	45	65	35	30	52	45	25	45	38	50	61	59	63	67	35	30	25	50	35	45	59	63	69	67	61	68	65	55	30	68	48	65	77	75	65	50	75	71
1994/95	39	42	42	73	25	25	35	45	65	35	30	52	45	25	45	38	50	60	58	62	66	35	30	25	49	35	45	59	63	69	67	61	68	65	55	30	68	48	65	77	75	65	50	75	71
1995	40	40	40	73	25	25	34	44	64	34	29	50	44	25	44	38	50	58	56	60	64	34	29	25	48	35	44	58	62	68	66	60	67	64	54	30	67	47	64	77	75	65	50	75	71
1996/97	41	39	39	72	25	25	33	43	63	33	28	49	43	25	43	37	49	57	55	59	63	33	28	25	47	35	43	58	62	68	66	60	67	64	54	30	67	47	64	76	74	64	49	74	70

How to read this table? Look at the far-right "OVR" column. The Fallen Stars files record cliffs, Milla's records an ascent, Higuita's a long slide — N'Kono records a fourth shape: a plateau. From 72 up, never above 76, never below 72 outside the final season, 74+ for 14 seasons. For a goalkeeper, "barely declining for over a decade" is the highest form of greatness a ledger can hold.

SHAPE OF THE LEDGER

A plateau: twenty years, barely moving

N'Kono · Goalkeeping overall (OVR) · five representative seasonsScale 1–99

Debut 1973 · Canon Yaoundé · age 17

World Cup starter 1982 · peak shelf · age 26

La Liga steady 1988/89 · Espanyol · age 32

Wandering begins 1993 · Tolima, Colombia · age 37

Last season 1996/97 · Atlético Malagueño · age 40

72 → 76 → 74 → 72 → 70: every figure pulled live from the stored per-season OVR (never hand-typed). The rating sits at 76 for four consecutive seasons from 1981 to 1984 — not one highlight year but an era: he finished that unbeaten-group World Cup as Cameroon's starting keeper (Case 006 · L1), reached La Liga four years later and then held it for eight seasons.

SEASON CARDS

Six seasons, six testimonies

197317GK

Canon Yaoundé, first season — the start of our ledger: overall 72, a seventeen-year-old opening.

198226GK

★ Peak · starting goalkeeper at the World Cup. Cameroon left that group stage unbeaten in three, out only on goals scored — with the eventual champions in the group. (Case 006 · L1)

1982/8326GK

Reaches La Liga with RCD Espanyol. Eight seasons follow — his goalkeeping prime handed to Barcelona's other club. (BallFact player_seasons)

199034GK

Italia '90, aged 34 — "the man behind the line" in Case 006's register, the second of its two named veterans alongside 38-year-old Milla. (Case 006 · L1)

199337GK

First stop after Europe: Deportes Tolima, Colombia. No cliff in the ledger — 72, just another step down the edge of the shelf.

1996/9740GK

Atlético Malagueño, a forty-year-old final season. Twenty-five seasons, five countries, filed to the end of our record.

MILESTONES

Marks beyond the ledger

1973

First season at Canon Yaoundé — the 25-season ledger opens here. (BallFact player_seasons)

1982

Starting goalkeeper at the World Cup: Cameroon unbeaten in the group, three draws, eliminated only on goals scored — the core testimony Case 006 used to rehabilitate 1990. (Case 006 · L1)

1982/83—1989/90

Eight La Liga seasons at Espanyol; then Santander and Sabadell. His keeper years in Spain. (BallFact player_seasons)

1990

Aged 34, one of the register-named key men of Cameroon 1990, listed beside 38-year-old Milla. (Case 006 · L1)

1993—1996

The late wandering: Tolima (Colombia), Puebla (Mexico), Destroyers (Bolivia), Málaga B (Spain) — four countries, the ledger kept recording. (BallFact player_seasons)

—

Posterity: Buffon named him for years as an idol and an earliest football memory. (Case 006's personnel table says L1; its evidence grading puts N'Kono's influence on Buffon at L2 — this file follows the more conservative L2.)

ARCHIVIST'S NOTE

Why file a plateau

BONG WENG Archivist & Verdict Issuer

Three shapes have been filed in this ledger before: the cliffs of the Fallen Stars (Recoba, Owen, Adriano), the long slope of Higuita, the uphill ridge of Milla. N'Kono is the fourth — a plateau. 14 seasons within two points of 76 makes for poor drama, but for a goalkeeper the greatest shape a ledger can hold is precisely "barely declining for over a decade", not "one year it finally fell".

He is also the name easiest to misread in Case 006: while the register redeemed a 38-year-old scorer with six celebrated words, it passed him through in six others — "a 34-year-old behind the line". This file expands those six words into twenty-five ledger rows: from Yaoundé to Barcelona, from Colombia to Bolivia, a Cameroonian holding the same line both before Europe and after leaving it. One honest note stands: the plateau shape is itself an L3 interpolation. What holds is what the script confirms cell by cell — a peak year of 1982, a 74—76 shelf 14 seasons long — landing in step with Case 006's L1 facts.

The case-file chain: one squad, two veterans, one opposing keeper

Case 006 tries “were Cameroon 1990 dark horses?”; File #P00014 keeps the books of the register's oldest scorer; this file keeps the books of the man behind the line; File #P00013 (Higuita) holds the testimony of the keeper facing them that June. Four pages, cross-linked, each trying its own layer — no case re-tried twice.

— Bong Weng · Archivist · BallFact

Note: club/league assignments and per-season attributes come from the BallFact database (attributes L3, editorial derivation); the 1982 starting goalkeeper, the unbeaten 1982 group and the 34-year-old behind the line in 1990 are all taken from the published Case 006, whose evidence grading stands on that page. Per-season appearances are not filed and are not asserted here; reputational claims such as a Zamora award or "the best goalkeeper of the 1980s" are not held in any BallFact-audited case (including award names echoed in our own attribute anchors) and are therefore not used.

A forward is remembered for one match; a keeper is remembered for a decade.

METHOD

Data basis and confidence grading

L1 · HighMulti-source and audited in Case 006's register: starting goalkeeper at the 1982 World Cup; Cameroon's unbeaten three-draw 1982 group, out only on goals scored, with the eventual champions in it; aged 34 behind the line in 1990 as a named key man.
L2 · MidSingle authority or BallFact reconstruction: Buffon's years of publicly stated idolisation (graded L2 in Case 006's evidence list — this file follows that conservative grade); per-season club/league from our player_seasons (Canon Yaoundé, Espanyol, Racing Santander, Sabadell, Tolima, Puebla, Destroyers, Atlético Malagueño).
L3 · DerivedThe career attribute arc is editorial derivation: anchored on the 1982 World Cup and interpolated across the keeper attribute group (scale 1–99), solved from no game database; the "14-season shelf" is a machine statistic over that L3 arc, not a per-season measurement.

SOURCE LIST

S1 · BallFact Case 006 "Cameroon 1990: The So-Called Naive Rookies" — the register naming N'Kono at 34, the 1982 starting keeper and unbeaten group, and the L1/L2 grading of the Buffon influence (discrepancy noted in the grading table above): /truth/cameroon-1990/.

S2 · BallFact Player File #P00014 "Roger Milla: The Man Who Peaked at Thirty-Eight" — the other veteran of the same register: /players/roger-milla/.

S3 · BallFact Player File #P00013 "Higuita" — the keeper on the other end of that June match: /players/higuita/.

S4 · BallFact players database player_seasons / player_attributes (slug=thomas-nkono, 25 seasons, attributes L3; apps/goals/team_rank not filed, hence not cited).

S5 · Dataset CSV: /data/players/thomas-nkono.csv (per-season attribute snapshot).

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