₦airaland Forum

texanomaly: Proclaimed it to the world, she did.

Did anyone watch the flying eagles match today?

Say it is well with my soul

Has he really gone?

I know Ice prince without brymo

.

Even the bustling world of football seemed to stand still
on 26 June 2003. After 75 minutes of the FIFA
Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia at
Stade Gerland, Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe collapsed
on the field and died a short time later. Today, 26 June
2013, is the tenth anniversary of the tragedy.
“I have very precise but also very sad memories of the
game in Lyon. Marc was taken to hospital, and we
weren't aware he was in such a bad way. When we were
informed of his death immediately after the final
whistle we were totally shocked," recalled Mohamadou
Idrissou, who played the full 90 minutes on the night, in
a conversation with FIFA.com.
Francisco Maturana, Colombia coach at the time, still
retains emotional memories of what happened: “This
day will remain for ever in the memory of everyone
involved. I can remember the situation exactly: Marc
lost the ball during a Cameroon attack, and his attempt
to win back possession failed. He started to track back
but fell to the ground, and our player Jairo Patino was at
his side straightaway, trying to help. He immediately
realised it was serious and called for help. When Marc
was on the stretcher, you sensed everyone was
concerned. And when we eventually became aware he
had died, we were all very sad and some of us cried. A
moment like that stays with you all the time."
The referee, Germany's Markus Merk, confessed when
he ended his career in 2008 that it was the most
difficult moment of his career by far. In subsequent
matches, the respected official said, he had an uneasy
feeling the minute he entered a stadium.
Even a decade later, then Indomitable Lions coach
Winfried Schaefer is still struggling to accept the
tragedy, as he admitted to FIFA.com: “It was a
devastating day for all of us, naturally for his family
above all. His wife, his kids and his mother were at the
stadium. Marc was a big personality, not only as a
player, but also as a wonderful person. I've been in the
game many long years now, but I've never experienced
anything else like this. After the match I was in no
position to help my players, because I needed help
myself. When we heard the news, we broke down and
cried.”
Foe was only 28 but had represented a number of clubs
as a professional, starting with Canon Yaounde in his
home country, Lens and Lyon in France, and West Ham
United and Manchester City in England. The 1.94m
midfielder was respected and admired by his team-
mates, and was a gifted player out on the field. In 64
full international appearances, Foe scored eight goals
and represented the Indomitable Lions at the 1994 FIFA
World Cup™ in the USA and the 2002 edition in Korea
and Japan. A broken leg meant he missed out on the
1998 tournament in France.
The news of his sudden and wholly unexpected death in
2003 shocked the world of football and relegated
events on the field to a peripheral role. Just an hour
after the match in Lyon, hosts France faced Turkey in
Paris in the second semi-final, but the thoughts of many
were with Cameroon's lost son. In unprecedented
scenes on a football field, the crowd and viewers saw
the players console and encourage each other as they
struggled to hold back tears. When Thierry Henry
scored the opening goal, the France star declined to
celebrate, instead pointing to the heavens and
dedicating the goal to his deceased colleague.
Foe’s presence in spirit was tangible at the final, as the
Cameroon and France players came together behind a
huge photograph of the much-loved player and
observed a minute’s silence. “Just coming out for the
final was very difficult, but the French honoured the
tragic death of our friend and colleague when both
captains lifted the trophy together for Marc," observed
Idrissou, recalling the magnificent gesture of France
captain Marcel Desailly, who called Cameroon skipper
Rigobert Song to him at the trophy presentation so the
pair could raise the trophy together. Many banners paid
tribute to Foe, one of them bearing this poignant
message: “A lion never dies, he only sleeps.”
“The tragic death of Marc-Vivien Foe came as a genuine
shock to me. I felt great sorrow in thinking of him, his
family, his loved ones and his team-mates. The
overriding feeling, however, was one of powerlessness
in the face of fate, mixed with a sense of anger that
death had chosen to make its presence felt in our sport,
where it has no place. Sport is happiness, plenitude and
well-being. Sport is life. It is not death.
"I visited the Cameroon team in Lyon, where we prayed
together, and I went to the funeral. It was a time of
profound reflection, intense emotions and
togetherness, paying our respects to a remarkable and
highly respected young man who suffered a tragic fate.
His death triggered a general awareness of the absolute
necessity to intensify efforts to prevent sudden cardiac
arrests from occurring when playing football. Today, 26
June 2013, ten years after his death, Marc-Vivien Foe
remains very much in our memories. On my own behalf
and on behalf of the international football community, I
would like once again to pay heartfelt tribute to him,"
said FIFA President Joseph S Blatter.
Ten years on, Foe’s tragic and untimely death has again
come into focus at the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil
2013. Gerard Houllier, a member of the FIFA Technical
Study Group (TSG) and Liverpool manager at the time,
spoke to the Cameroon star shortly before the
tournament. “Before he flew to France, we sat next to
each other on a plane. Naturally, I was shocked by his
death. I knew him really well, especially because I once
tried to bring him to Liverpool while he was still with
Lens, so I'd frequently been in touch with him and his
wife. I think of him every year at this time. For me
personally, it's one of the saddest events in football
history."
Tahiti's Marama Vahirua, who played for Nantes at the
time, frequently came up against Foe as an opponent.
“I was in France at the time, and naturally I was shaken
by his death. We were all asking the same question:
why did he have to die? How could it happen? I find I
always think of him at every Confederations Cup. Sadly,
his name is inextricably linked with this footballing
event.”
John Obi Mikel, one of the leading members of the
current Nigeria team, remembers Foe as a magnificent
player: “Everyone knows his name and respects his
memory. We mustn't stop thinking of him, and it won't
be any different at this tournament."
The lost Cameroon star will indeed be remembered in a
number of ways at tonight’s first semi-final between
Brazil and Uruguay, including a period of applause. The
message is clear: Marc-Vivien Foe: Football will never
forget you!

Samuel Eto'o

supaeagles: Fela Kuti

read the topic again.. ALIVE!!!

omonnakoda: Germany have a real league we do not.
The days when Germany was an average side You must be very young or a learner! Brazil went from 1970 to 1994 with no World Cup. Yes every nation has ups and downs but Germany won the European Cup in 1996 and reached the World cCup Final in 2002(with a so called "average" side).

2000 was probably their worst year recently and no one expected anything from them at the 2002 World Cup especially after the trashing at home by England but they reached the final They have continued to do well ever since so do not exaggerate. if you have followed football long enough you will know nations rise and fall though some are always close the the top. What is the worst FIFA Ranking Germany ever had?? 22 in 2006. FYI in April 2013 Brazil were 19th

You are talking sense...

bboiabb: Naija 2nd team 0-3 spain 1st team and people still complain? Ghanaians wanna come insult us? please organize a friendly with us. Even this 2nd string team with all our injured players will win you by at least 2-3 goals

having said that, lets stop fighting and support one another like the brothers that we are. I was supporting Ghana in the world cup and will still support them or whoever progresses the furthest in the cup.

UP AFRICA!
lets go show those oyinbos how to play real football when the world cup comes around

Are we sure we can show the europeans real football?

Gud one

A-Z of the Confederations Cup
A is for Adriano. Back in 2005 the then 23-year-old
was one of the hottest strikers on the planet. His five
goals at the Confederations Cup that summer saw Brazil
lift the trophy and Adriano crowned winner of the
Golden Shoe (top goalscorer) and Golden Ball (best
player).
B is for Brazil. The 2013 tournament will be held in
Brazil and the Selecao will go in search of their fourth
Confederations Cup triumph having won the last two
editions of the competition in 2005 and 2009 as well as
the 1997 edition.
C is for Cafusa. The official match ball for the
tournament has been produced by Adidas and named
Cafusa. The title is a combination of the words carnival,
football and samba.
D is forDenilson.
Once the most
expensive player in
world football, the
Brazilian was
awarded the Golden
Ball at the 1997 Saudi
Arabia competition
to crown him the best
player on show.
E is for eight. The
tournament is contested by the winners of the six Fifa
confederation championships – Uefa, Conmebol,
Concacaf, CAF, AFC and OFC, as well as the host nation
and reigning World Cup-winners.*
F is for final. The 78,000-seater, refurbished
Maracana stadium will host the 2013 Confederations
Cup final.
G is for Golden Ball, Golden Shoe and Golden
Gloves. Those are the three individual awards up for
grabs for best player, top goalscorer and best goalkeeper
in action across the two weeks of football.
H is for hat-tricks. Vladimir Smicer, Ronaldo,
Romario, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Marzouk Al-Otaibi,
Ronaldinho, Luciano Figueroa and Fernando Torres are
the only eight men to have scored a Confederations Cup
hat-trick.
I is for Italy. The Azzurri have the chance to become
the third team after Argentina and France to win all
three major Fifa tournaments, having previously won
the World Cup and Olympic football competitions.
Uruguay & Spain can also achieve that feat with victory.
J is for Japan. The
Samurai Blue make
their fifth
Confederations Cup
appearance having
qualified as Asian
Cup champions.
They finished in
second place at the
2001 tournament .
K is for King Fahd
Cup. Saudi Arabia originally organised and competed
in the tournament, held in 1992 & 1995 and featuring
only a few continental champions, before Fifa took over
the competition and renamed it the Confederations
Cup .
L is for Luis Fabiano. The Sao Paulo striker was the
top goalscorer at the 2009 tournament and is one of
five Brazilians who make up the top 10 hitmen in
Confederations Cup history, alongside Alex, Romario,
Ronaldinho and Adriano.
M is for magical Mexicans. Famed for his
‘Cuauhtemina’ or ‘Blanco’ trick of hopping between two
players with the ball, Cuauhtemoc Blanco is tied with
Ronaldinho for most goals in a single tournament. He
scored nine times as Mexico lifted the trophy in 1999.
N is for Nielsen. Richard Moller Nielsen guided
Denmark to their first and only Confederations Cup
success back in 1995. They defeated Argentina 2-0 in
the final.
O is for OFC. The 2012 OFC Nations Cup was won by
Tahiti, meaning the small island become the first nation
other than Australia or New Zealand to represent
Oceania at the global tournament.
P is for part-time. Only one member of the Tahiti
squad, Panathanaikos striker Marama Vahirua, plays
outside of the Polynesian island. The rest ply their trade
as semi-professionals in the Tahiti First Division.
Q isfor qualified. Brazil, Japan, Mexico and Italy will
do battle in Group A for a place in the semi-finals, while
Spain, Uruguay, Tahiti and Nigeria will do the same in
Group B.
R is forfor record.
An average of 60,625
supporters watched
Confederations Cup
matches at the
Mexico 1999
tournament. That
total is a competition
record.
S is for six. The
tournament will be
contested at six venues in six different cities across
Brazil.
T is for technology. Goal-line technology will be used
in Brazil, with German company GoalControl GmbH the
official provider of 14 high-speed cameras – seven
behind each goal.
U is for Uruguay. Oscar Tabarez’s side are the second
South American team, along with hosts Brazil, to
qualify for the tournament as a result of their 2011 Copa
America success. They are yet to win the trophy in their
history.
V is for vuvuzela. The Brazilian version of the
headache-inducing instrument, known as the caxirola,
has been banned because of public safety concerns.
W is for winners. Brazil may well be hoping for a
glorious exit from the competition if omens are
anything to go by. On the three occasions they have
lifted the Confederations Cup (1997, 2005 and 2009),
the Selecao have gone on to finish runners-up, and
quarter-finalists twice at the World Cups staged the
following year.
X is for Xavier Samim. The 35-year-old Tahiti
goalkeeper will do battle with Mickael Roche to be first
choice for the tournament having usurped his younger
rival towards the end of the OFC Nations Cup.
Y is for Vicente Yanez. The Spaniard is believed to
be the first European explorer to have set foot on
Brazilian soil back in 1500. Fast forward to 2013 and
could Spain be the side to conquer the tournament in
South America?
Z is for Zagallo, Mario Zagallo. The now 81-year-old
Brazilian coach lifted the 1997 version of the
competition, having guided the Selecao to World Cup
final glory back in 1970.
*Italy qualified as Euro 2012 runners-up as Spain hold
the World Cup and European Championship crowns.

Why d OP no include those wey dey carry LAILON(polybag)?

BEN ODIASE!!! Cant forget the name that won me a prize in a Nido competition when i was in primary school. RIPP....

Go to school, if you know you cant afford the fee then get a limited loan from the bank or use the rent money u collect from the tenants in your mom's house. Then you can proceed to do business after school, thats my advice for you.

speedyboi: These alaba films ...Can't they learn from the professional Nollywood filmmakers?

I was watching the BTS of Doctor Bello (Nollywood Movie) last week; A young boy's character was supposed to be bald. They didn't touch the boy's hair, it was the costumiers who worked it out. And another set of Filmmakers in the same industry are busy shaving hair. Mtcheew.

true talk... Watched it too. And dis crew + cast will call demselves proffesional. SMH

Trut: I speak with mum often than dad. When i was in sch, if need financial assistance, i will tell mum first before i request from dad. Mum will help me persuade Dad to send the money quick.

just like me

LesbianBoy: Mario balotelli!

Alert!!! Brain damaged

As everyone would say Numbers are uncountable, but I really want to know the highest number dat has been reached by mathematicians and/or scientists...

PHOTOS: Shell Exposes World’s Largest Illegal Oil Refinery In President Jonathan’s Backyard


http://247nigerianewsupdate.com/photos-shell-exposes-worlds-largest-illegal-oil-refinery-in-president-jonathans-backyard/

Go to skool very early in d morning to carry d skool drum set
I thought all celebrities was my family
I didn't know there was a university after secondary skool
I didn't realise women had breast

Why should u want to promote if u cannot pay. Or don't u know wat a condition is? So u want to collect a free certificate. Thief

Islam is my religion, and I don't think anytin can make me change dat!

Wat about bb battery?

moderatorr: APC is finally fighting back.
With their own propaganda.

I guess many people don't understand dis

My oga at the top must not see dis oo

Nice thread @op

usbcable: you are actually oblivious of the history of the rivalry between both teams.

when Barcelona fans threw a Pigs head at Figo in the stadium during a match was it mounrinho that caused that one too?

Gbagaun!
English language deficiency.

This is total rubbish, me wey dey download almost 300mb per day wetin I go do? Abi make I troway dis sim ni

Nigeria premier league full results Enugu Rangers 1 - 0 Enyimba  
Sun10/03/13
Heartland 1 - 2 Nembe City  
Nasarawa United 0 - 0 El Kanemi Warriors  
Akwa United 1 - 0 Dolphins  
Sharks 2 - 1 Warri Wolves  
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Sunshine Stars 1 - 0 Kaduna United  
Bayelsa United 1 - 0 Lobi Stars  
Shooting Stars 2 - 0 Gombe United  
ABS 0 - 0 Kwara United