As World Cup football filled the stadiums of Italy during the summer of 1990, the country’s children flooded onto the streets. The evenings were spent watching their heroes; the days were devoted to re-enacting their exploits. For some it was still Marco Tardelli’s immortalised scream of passion which captured their imagination; for others, it was the new hero, Salvatore Schillaci.
For one fresh-faced 12-year-old, it was neither an Italian nor a goalscorer. He was inspired by the heroics of Cameroon goalkeeper Thomas N’Kono, racing off his line to deny Argentina in that famous upset that opened the tournament.