Foé tragedy stuns football
Thursday, June 26, 2003
Article summary
Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foé died after a suspected heart attack during the FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final.
Article body
Heart stopped
Foé, who spent last season on loan at Manchester City FC in England, was carried off on a stretcher after collapsing ten minutes from the end of the match at the Stade Gerland, won 1-0 by Cameroon. It is believed his heart stopped after he was taken from the pitch.
'Very sad day'
Medical staff tried for 45 minutes to restart his heart, without success. A minute's silence preceded the second semi-final between France and Turkey and a FIFA spokesman said: "This is a very sad day for football, for FIFA and for the player's family, this is all we can say at the moment."
Autopsy will follow
There will be an autopsy to determine the circumstances of his death. Foé, 28, played more than 60 games for Cameroon and, besides City and Lyon, also played for West Ham United FC and RC Lens.
