Marc-Vivien Foé
Encyclopedia
Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroon
ian international footballer, who played in midfield
for both club and country. With success in the French League
, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide footballing community. He was posthumously decorated with the Commander of the National Order of Valour.
. Foé started his career as a junior with Second Division Union Garoua, before moving to Canon Yaoundé
, one of the biggest clubs in Cameroon, where he won the Cameroon Cup
in 1993. He made his international debut against Mexico
in September 1993, and the following year he was included in the Cameroon squad for the 1994 World Cup
, starting all three of Cameroon's matches. Marred by financial and disciplinary disputes, the 1994 Cameroon squad was a shadow of that which had reached the quarter-finals in 1990, mustering just one point from three matches, and finishing with a 6–1 defeat to Russia
. However, Foé's performances in the tournament were sufficient to prompt interest from European clubs. After turning down an offer to join Auxerre
as a trainee, he signed for another French club, RC Lens of Ligue 1
. Foé made his Lens debut on 13 August 1994 in a 2–1 win against Montpellier
. During his five seasons at Lens he won the French league title in 1998. In the close season he was targeted by Manchester United
, who had a £
3 million offer refused. Further negotiations took place, but were curtailed abruptly when Foé sustained a broken leg at Cameroon's pre-World Cup training camp. As a result, he missed the 1998 World Cup. Shortly after his recovery from injury Foé moved to English Premier League club West Ham United
, who paid a club record £4.2 million in January 1999. He played 38 league matches for West Ham, scoring one goal against Sheffield Wednesday. He also scored a goal in West Ham's UEFA Cup victory over NK Osijek
.
He moved back to France to play for Lyon
in 2000. In that same year, he missed a significant part of the season after suffering from a bout of malaria
, but recovered and went on to win the French league Cup in 2001 and the French league title in 2002. He was part of the Cameroon squad in the 2002 World Cup
. As in 1994, he played in all of Cameroon's matches, but though the team's performances were improved in comparison to 1994, once again they were eliminated at the group stage, after beating Saudi Arabia
, drawing with Ireland
and losing to Germany
.
Foé made a return to the English Premier League when he was loaned to Manchester City
for the 2002–03 season
, Manchester City paying a £550,000 fee for the loan. He made his City debut on the opening day of the season in a 3–0 defeat against Leeds United. Foé was a first team regular for Kevin Keegan
's team, starting 38 of the club's 41 matches in all competitions. His first goal for the club came against Sunderland
at the Stadium of Light
on 9 December 2002, and over the course of the next month he scored a further five goals. In total he scored nine goals for the club, the last of these having particular significance; his second goal in a 3–0 victory against Sunderland on 21 April 2003 was the club's final goal at their Maine Road
stadium.
In June 2003, Foé died whilst on the pitch. He was part of the Cameroon squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup, a tournament played between continental champions. He played in wins against Brazil
and Turkey
, and was rested for the match against the United States
, with Cameroon having already qualified. On 26 June 2003, Cameroon faced Colombia
in the semi-final, held at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon, France
. In the 72nd minute of the match Foé collapsed in the centre circle, with no other players near him. After attempts to resuscitate him on the pitch, he was stretchered off the field, where he received mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen. Medics spent 45 minutes attempting to restart his heart, and although he was still alive upon arrival at the stadium's medical centre he died shortly afterwards, in spite of the efforts to save his life. A first autopsy did not determine an exact cause of death, but a second autopsy concluded that Foé's death was heart-related as it discovered evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
, a hereditary condition known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise.
Foé's death caused a profound shock. Numerous tributes to his joyous personality and infectious humour were expressed in the media. Also Thierry Henry
and other players pointed to the sky in tribute to Foé after Henry had opened the scoring against Turkey in France's
Confederations Cup semi-final that evening.
It was suggested that the Confederations Cup and the Stade Gerland could have been renamed after him, and former Manchester City
manager Kevin Keegan
announced that the club would no longer use the number 23 shirt Foé wore during his successful season there. At Manchester City's ground, the City of Manchester Stadium
, there is a small memorial to him in the stadium's memorial garden, and on the walls of the players' tunnel are plaques paid for by supporters, with their names, dubbed the Walk of Pride. The first plaque on the wall is for Marc and reads "Marc Vivien Foé – 1975–2003". His first club (Lens
) has given his name to an avenue near the Félix Bollaert Stadium
. Foé was given a state funeral in Cameroon.
Lyon
also decided to withdraw the number 17 shirt that Foé wore a year before when he played in Stade de Gerland with the Lyon team. People in Lyon were shocked as he had received a warm welcome on his return to the stadium. However since the transfer of fellow Cameroonian Jean II Makoun
to Lyon, the number 17 shirt will be used by Makoun, who stated on wearing the number: "In memory of Marc, for me and for the whole Cameroon, this will be for something."
Prior to the kick-off of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
final between the USA and Brazil, his son, then fourteen years old, gave a brief speech in memory of his father.
|1994–95||rowspan="5"|Lens
||rowspan="5"|Division 1
||15||3||||||||||||||15||3
|-
|1995–96||19||2||||||||||||||19||2
|-
|1996–97||28||2||||||||||||||28||2
|-
|1997–98||18||2||||||||||0||0||18||2
|-
|1998–99||5||2|||||||||||1||0||6||2
|-
|1998–99||rowspan="2"|West Ham United
||rowspan="2"|FA Premier League||13||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||13||0
|-
|1999–2000||25||1||1||0||3||0||3||1||32||2
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="2"|Olympique Lyonnais
||rowspan="2"|Division 1
||25||1||3||0||3||0||8||1||39||2
|-
|2001–02||18||2||0||0||0||0||8||0||26||2
|-
|2002–03||Manchester City
||FA Premier League||35||9||1||0||2||0||0||0||38||9
128||14||3||0||3||0||1||0||151||17
73||10||2||0||5||0||19||2||83||11
201||24||5||0||8||0||20||2||234||28
|}
|-
|1993||1||0
|-
|1994||4||0
|-
|1995||1||1
|-
|1996||4||0
|-
|1997||3||0
|-
|1998||5||0
|-
|1999||2||0
|-
|2000||8||3
|-
|2001||9||2
|-
|2002||14||2
|-
|2003||4||0
|-
!Total||55||8
|}
Lyon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
ian international footballer, who played in midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for both club and country. With success in the French League
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide footballing community. He was posthumously decorated with the Commander of the National Order of Valour.
Biography
Foé was born on 1 May 1975 in YaoundéYaoundé
-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
. Foé started his career as a junior with Second Division Union Garoua, before moving to Canon Yaoundé
Canon Yaoundé
Canon Sportif de Yaoundé, commonly referred to as Canon Yaoundé, are a Cameroonian football club based in Yaoundé. The club was formed in 1930 and play their games at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo...
, one of the biggest clubs in Cameroon, where he won the Cameroon Cup
Cameroon Cup
- Before independence :* 1941 : Caïman de Douala 6-0 Mikado ASTP* 1942 : Caïman de Douala 3-1 Léopard Douala* 1943 : Caïman de Douala* 1944-53 : Unknown* 1954 : Jeunesse Bamiléké* 1956 : Oryx Douala 6-0 Léopard Douala...
in 1993. He made his international debut against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
in September 1993, and the following year he was included in the Cameroon squad for the 1994 World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, starting all three of Cameroon's matches. Marred by financial and disciplinary disputes, the 1994 Cameroon squad was a shadow of that which had reached the quarter-finals in 1990, mustering just one point from three matches, and finishing with a 6–1 defeat to Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
. However, Foé's performances in the tournament were sufficient to prompt interest from European clubs. After turning down an offer to join Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
as a trainee, he signed for another French club, RC Lens of Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
. Foé made his Lens debut on 13 August 1994 in a 2–1 win against Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
. During his five seasons at Lens he won the French league title in 1998. In the close season he was targeted by Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, who had a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
3 million offer refused. Further negotiations took place, but were curtailed abruptly when Foé sustained a broken leg at Cameroon's pre-World Cup training camp. As a result, he missed the 1998 World Cup. Shortly after his recovery from injury Foé moved to English Premier League club West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, who paid a club record £4.2 million in January 1999. He played 38 league matches for West Ham, scoring one goal against Sheffield Wednesday. He also scored a goal in West Ham's UEFA Cup victory over NK Osijek
NK Osijek
NK Osijek is a Croatian football club, from Osijek in eastern Croatia.- History :NK Osijek's early roots are found in club called NK Udarnik that was formed in 1945 under FPR Yugoslavia's new communist authorities on the ashes of dissolved HŠK Slavija...
.
He moved back to France to play for Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
in 2000. In that same year, he missed a significant part of the season after suffering from a bout of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, but recovered and went on to win the French league Cup in 2001 and the French league title in 2002. He was part of the Cameroon squad in the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
. As in 1994, he played in all of Cameroon's matches, but though the team's performances were improved in comparison to 1994, once again they were eliminated at the group stage, after beating Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
, drawing with Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
and losing to Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
.
Foé made a return to the English Premier League when he was loaned to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
for the 2002–03 season
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
, Manchester City paying a £550,000 fee for the loan. He made his City debut on the opening day of the season in a 3–0 defeat against Leeds United. Foé was a first team regular for Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
's team, starting 38 of the club's 41 matches in all competitions. His first goal for the club came against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
on 9 December 2002, and over the course of the next month he scored a further five goals. In total he scored nine goals for the club, the last of these having particular significance; his second goal in a 3–0 victory against Sunderland on 21 April 2003 was the club's final goal at their Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
stadium.
Death
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
and Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, and was rested for the match against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, with Cameroon having already qualified. On 26 June 2003, Cameroon faced Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
in the semi-final, held at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In the 72nd minute of the match Foé collapsed in the centre circle, with no other players near him. After attempts to resuscitate him on the pitch, he was stretchered off the field, where he received mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen. Medics spent 45 minutes attempting to restart his heart, and although he was still alive upon arrival at the stadium's medical centre he died shortly afterwards, in spite of the efforts to save his life. A first autopsy did not determine an exact cause of death, but a second autopsy concluded that Foé's death was heart-related as it discovered evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied without any obvious cause...
, a hereditary condition known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise.
Foé's death caused a profound shock. Numerous tributes to his joyous personality and infectious humour were expressed in the media. Also Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
and other players pointed to the sky in tribute to Foé after Henry had opened the scoring against Turkey in France's
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
Confederations Cup semi-final that evening.
It was suggested that the Confederations Cup and the Stade Gerland could have been renamed after him, and former Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
manager Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
announced that the club would no longer use the number 23 shirt Foé wore during his successful season there. At Manchester City's ground, the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
, there is a small memorial to him in the stadium's memorial garden, and on the walls of the players' tunnel are plaques paid for by supporters, with their names, dubbed the Walk of Pride. The first plaque on the wall is for Marc and reads "Marc Vivien Foé – 1975–2003". His first club (Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
) has given his name to an avenue near the Félix Bollaert Stadium
Stade Félix Bollaert
Stade Félix Bollaert is the main football stadium in Lens, France, that was built in 1932. It is the home of RC Lens. The stadium's capacity is 41,233 – about 4,000 more than the city's population. This is similar to that of SC Heerenveen ground the Abe Lenstra Stadion which has a bigger capacity...
. Foé was given a state funeral in Cameroon.
Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
also decided to withdraw the number 17 shirt that Foé wore a year before when he played in Stade de Gerland with the Lyon team. People in Lyon were shocked as he had received a warm welcome on his return to the stadium. However since the transfer of fellow Cameroonian Jean II Makoun
Jean Makoun
Jean II Makoun is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos on loan from Aston Villa. He also plays in the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...
to Lyon, the number 17 shirt will be used by Makoun, who stated on wearing the number: "In memory of Marc, for me and for the whole Cameroon, this will be for something."
Prior to the kick-off of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
final between the USA and Brazil, his son, then fourteen years old, gave a brief speech in memory of his father.
Career statistics
|-|1994–95||rowspan="5"|Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
||rowspan="5"|Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||15||3||||||||||||||15||3
|-
|1995–96||19||2||||||||||||||19||2
|-
|1996–97||28||2||||||||||||||28||2
|-
|1997–98||18||2||||||||||0||0||18||2
|-
|1998–99||5||2|||||||||||1||0||6||2
|-
|1998–99||rowspan="2"|West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
||rowspan="2"|FA Premier League||13||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||13||0
|-
|1999–2000||25||1||1||0||3||0||3||1||32||2
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="2"|Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
||rowspan="2"|Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||25||1||3||0||3||0||8||1||39||2
|-
|2001–02||18||2||0||0||0||0||8||0||26||2
|-
|2002–03||Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
||FA Premier League||35||9||1||0||2||0||0||0||38||9
128||14||3||0||3||0||1||0||151||17
73||10||2||0||5||0||19||2||83||11
201||24||5||0||8||0||20||2||234||28
|}
|-
|1993||1||0
|-
|1994||4||0
|-
|1995||1||1
|-
|1996||4||0
|-
|1997||3||0
|-
|1998||5||0
|-
|1999||2||0
|-
|2000||8||3
|-
|2001||9||2
|-
|2002||14||2
|-
|2003||4||0
|-
!Total||55||8
|}
International goals
- Scores and results list Cameroon's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 24 December 1995 Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé Yaoundé-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
1–0 1–0 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...2. 22 January 2000 Accra Sports Stadium Accra Sports StadiumAccra Sports Stadium is a multi-use, 40,000 all-seater stadium in Accra, Ghana, mostly used for association football matches. Originally known as the Accra Sports Stadium, the stadium was renamed after Ohene Djan, the country's first Director of Sports, in 2004...
, AccraAccraAccra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
1–0 1–1 2000 African Cup of Nations 2000 African Cup of NationsThe 2000 African Cup of Nations was the 22nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa . It was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, who jointly replaced Zimbabwe as host. Just like in 1998, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...3. 6 February 2000 Accra Sports Stadium, Accra 2–0 2–1 2000 African Cup of Nations 4. 19 April 2000 Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé 2–0 3–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF First RoundThe CAF First Round of 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification was contested between 50 CAF members.The 50 teams were divided into 5 pools of 10 teams each. In each pool, the 10 teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis...5. 1 July 2001 Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé 2–0 2–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Final RoundThe CAF Final Round of 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification was contested between the 25 winners from the First Round split across 5 groups.The top country in each group at the end of the stage progressed to the 2002 FIFA World Cup.-Group A:----...6. 14 July 2001 Independence Stadium Independence Stadium (Zambia)Independence Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Lusaka, Zambia. It was originally built in the mid-1960s for use in hosting the country's independence celebrations. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 30,000 people....
, LusakaLusakaLusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
1–0 2–2 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 7. 7 January 2002 Stade du 4-Août Stade du 4-AoûtStade du 4-Août is a multi-purpose stadium in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It is currently used mostly for football matches and it also has an athletics track. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people. Etoile Filante Ouagadougou play their homes games at the stadium.-External links:* at * at * at...
, OuagadougouOuagadougouOuagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
1–0 3–1 Friendly 8. 7 February 2002 Stade 26 mars Stade 26 marsStade 26 mars is located in the southern neighborhoods of Bamako, Mali. It serves as a home ground for domestic football club Stade Malien and is the national stadium. It has a capacity of 50,000 as an all-seater stadium...
, BamakoBamakoBamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
3–0 3–0 2002 African Cup of Nations
Club
LensRC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
- French Division 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
: 1997–98
Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
- French Division 1: 2001–02
International
CameroonCameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
- Africa Cup of Nations: 20002000 African Cup of NationsThe 2000 African Cup of Nations was the 22nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa . It was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, who jointly replaced Zimbabwe as host. Just like in 1998, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
, 2002
Individual
- Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
Bronze Ball: 1- 20032003 FIFA Confederations CupThe 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...
- 2003