Manchester United new boy Andre Onana is latest in long line of classy Cameroonian keepers

Francois Onana used to tell his young son, Andre, about "The Cat". It wasn’t so easy then to locate extensive footage of the legendary Cameroonian goalkeeper, Tommy "Cat" N’Kono, icon of the West African country’s finest showing at a World Cup, but the stories were many and vivid.

Some reckon N’Kono to be the most gifted keeper Cameroon ever produced, but, even in his prime, there would be arguments about that.

His near-contemporary, Joseph-Antoine "Jojo" Bell has ardent fans. For well over a decade, their joust over who should wear the No 1 jersey for the so-called Indomitable Lions was fierce, and felt sharply by the two rivals, men of different personalities and skill-sets.

More than a generation on, Cameroonian goalkeeping retains its special aura, its high status in world football. And it is still a theatre for argument. Andre Onana, the latest in a long line of admired Lions With Gloves and the new €55 million signing at Manchester United, would bear witness to that.

Two months ago, Onana was helping Inter Milan to the European Champions League final. Eight months back, he was losing his position in the national side during a World Cup, following tactical disagreements with his coach, Rigobert Song, and other management staff.

Cameroonians of Onana’s parents’ – or grandparents’ – generation watched that row unfold with a sense of déjà-vu. Back in 1990, when Cameroon’s goalkeeping expertise was at peak strength, a dispute on the eve of the tournament led to Bell, the first pick, being controversially dropped; N’Kono, assigned at that time a role as back-up, was selected.

The rest is history, N’Kono became part of the feted team that beat Argentina in the opening match of Italia ‘90 and missed out on the semi-finals