Joseph-Antoine Bell
The goalkeeper voted Africa's best of the 20th century
Born in 1954
Who are they?
A goalkeeper born in 1954 in Mouandé, in Cameroon's Littoral region. After Union Douala, Africa Sports in Abidjan and Arab Contractors in Cairo, he joined Olympique de Marseille at 31, then played for Toulon, Bordeaux and Saint-Étienne.
What made them famous
He won the African Cup of Nations in 1984 and 1988 with the Indomitable Lions. The IFFHS named him Africa's goalkeeper of the century, ahead of his great rival Thomas N'Kono.
Key facts
- African Champions' Cup winner in 1979 with Union Douala.
- In April 1990, returning to the Stade Vélodrome in a Bordeaux shirt, he was targeted with bananas thrown from the stands, an episode that exposed racism in French stadiums.
- He played at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles with Cameroon.
- After retiring he became a media pundit, notably for RFI.