FIFA boss leads Foe tribute

LYON: FIFA president Sepp Blatter led thousands of soccer fans and a host of players in a tribute to Cameroon international Marc-Vivien Foe yesterday. A mass in memory of the midfielder, who collapsed during his team’s Confederations Cup semi-final win over Colombia a week ago and died shortly afterwards, was held in St Jean Cathedral.

Foe’s wife, Marie-Louise, his children, Scott, Lesley and Angela, his father, Martin, and his brother, Emmanuel, were in attendance, all dressed in white. They were supported by the Cameroon squad and players from his former French clubs RC Lens and Olympique Lyon, including Sonny Anderson who flew back from Brazil. There were also delegations from his former English teams West Ham United and Manchester City, the latter led by manager Kevin Keegan. Foe joined Lens in August 1994 and helped them win the league for the first time and reach the Cup final in 1998. He moved to West Ham in 1999 before moving to Lyon who won the League Cup in 2001 and their first league title in 2002. Foe, who had 65 caps, featured at two World Cups, 1994 and 2002, and twice won the African Nations Cup, in 2000 and 2002.

His coffin entered the cathedral to the sound of gospel hymns song by a choir from Cameroon. “I pay tribute to the people of Cameroon on this day of national mourning. I wish to let them know that Marc-Vivien was embodying the pride of Cameroon and the City of Lyon,” Archbishop Philippe Barbarin told the mourners. Blatter, the head of soccer’s world governing body, added: “I came with sadness and emotion but also with faith and hope. Death is a mystery which leaves us without answer, particularly when it strikes a man in the prime of his life”. Striker Patrick Mboma spoke on behalf of Cameroon’s team. “You were a lot more than a soccer player, a lot more than a champion. It’s impossible to tell you how much we are going to miss you. Your smile will be indelibly printed on our minds. To the man Marco we only say farewell,” he said. The coffin left the cathedral in the midst of black-clad guard of honour from the Cameroon team.

Foe will be flown to Cameroon on Saturday with his former team mates on board the plane. His funeral is due to take place on July 12 when a memorial service will also be held at Notre Dame, in Paris. The causes of the 28-year-old’s death have not been clearly established. Toxicology tests carried out as part of the autopsy have been handed to an expert in Geneva for analysis. The Lyon prosecutor’s office said the results would be known “late this week or early next week”.