Thousands pay tribute
to Foe
By Tansa Musa
YAOUNDE (Reuters) -
Some fans wore black and others were dressed in the number 17 national
team jersey worn by Foe, who collapsed during his team's Confederations Cup
semi-final win over Colombia nine days ago and died shortly later.
On occasions, mourners thronged into the road, blocking the cavalcade
of 300 vehicles as they tried to pay last respects to the midfielder who died at
the age of 28.
Fans waved placards reading "Marco, go in peace," or "Marco, a lion
never dies, he is resting" -- the latter a reference to the national team's
nickname, the Indomitable Lions. Grieving women fell to the ground as the coffin
passed.
Foe's body arrived at the airport on a special Cameroon Airlines
flight, accompanied by his family and the national team.
After a brief religious ceremony and military honours, his body was
taken on the 23-km (14-mile) memorial drive through the city.
Thousands had gathered at the airport to pay tribute. Mourners wailed
as Foe's wife, Marie Louise, stepped off the plane with her children and other
family members.
TAKEN AWAY
"Marc, so it is true that you are dead," said his father Martin
Amougou Foe, tears rolling down his cheeks. "It is God's will. He gave me two
sons, now he has taken away one."
Foe, who had 65 caps, featured at two World Cups, 1994 and 2002, and
twice won the African Nations Cup, in 2000 and 2002.
"He was a sportsman full of talent, generosity and humanity. We all
miss him very dearly," said Kalkaba Malboum, head of the Cameroon's national
Olympic committee and the African Athletics Federation.
Foe will be buried with full official honours on Monday, following a
mass at Yaounde's cathedral. The burial will take place at the player's home.
The exact cause of his death is not yet known. The results of the
autopsy are due next week and toxicology tests have been sent for analysis in
Geneva.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter, thousands of soccer fans and a host of
players paid tribute to Foe at a memorial service in Lyons, France on Thursday.
Foe had played for French clubs RC Lens and Olympique Lyon, as well as
West Ham United and Manchester City.
The
Mulindwas Communication Group "With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in
anarchy"
Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans
l'anarchie"
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