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Marc Vivien Foe…What happened to all the promises to complete Foe’s Sports complex?
Marc Vivien Foe (MVF) was given a State funeral in Cameroon in the presence of FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Cameroon’s president Paul Biya. On July 7th 2003, former Prime Minister, Peter Mafany Musonge decorated Foe with one of the highest honours in the land; the commandant of the order of valour.
One of the messages carried on the placards as Foe was being accompanied to his last resting placed read simply, “a Lion never dies, he only sleeps”
Since his dead, the midfield position he played in Cameroons’ national team the Indomitable Lions has never been filled. The team has not won a single trophy in the ten years following his dead.
In the flurry and emotion following his death, FIFA, his playing mates and Cameroon football authorities promised to complete the huge sports complex he was constructing in the outskirts of Yaounde. Ten years later, that was quietly abandoned. Marc Vivien Foe was buried on the complex ground.
Among the hundreds of foreign and local journalists who covered Marc Vivien Foe’s funeral were Franklin Sone Bayern and Martin Etonge
Franklin covered the funeral for his online sports news blog while Martin covered it for the BBC World Service.
Francis Ngwa Niba has been speaking to both of them.
Martin Etonge
| You both covered MVF funeral. What did he represent to you as a journalist?Franklin Sone Bayern: I was both a reporter and a mourner that day. I saw a young hero leaving too soon. I saw a nation mourn him like one family. I saw the world-wide footballing movement share in the grief of the Foe family and Cameroon. Fifa president Sepp Blatter was present. That added a feather to my cap as a reporter covering Blatter. It was my first exposure to an international football figure of his standing. Now that looks so ordinary after covering AFCON (African Cup of Nations) and the World Cup. President Biya and his wife Chantal also honoured Foe at the funeral mass, but I had covered Biya from close quarters at the Presidential Palace earlier that year when Cameroon won the U-17 AFCON. Nevertheless, covering Foe’s funeral brought me more grief than personal honour. He was a rare gem in the team. Like Marcel Desailly once said of himself in the French team, Foe was the leader, though Rigobert Song was the captain.Martin Etonge: A very talented footballer who passed on before fans could realize the best from him. His courage, calmness, talent and fighting spirit were sources of inspiration to many youths.Ten years later, what will you say is the legacy MVF left behind?Martin Etonge: Not much. Sincerely, I think only the tears of mourners. His generosity too. No other player has been able to reproduce what Marc Vivien Foe embodied in the national team. The team has won no major title since Foe left and the team performance has greatly dropped.
On the material side of things, he left a sports complex that has hardly been completed, a huge commercial building in Yaounde and some houses.
 George FonTamo and Franklin Sone Bayern Franklin Sone Bayern: It would have been a rich material legacy had his dream sports complex been finished and put into use. That sadly was abandoned in spite of the flurry of promises from teammates in the national team and his foreign clubs, and other international football stars and institutions, to do everything to immortalize him. Sadly also, his professional legacy as a national team player has revealed that his departure turned the light that made the Indomitable Lions shine. Never before Foe’s demise had the Lions been so consistently lacklustre as in these 10 years since his departure. Maybe the best legacy of Foe is the fond memory of his life, that he lived a useful life as a football player and had a vision for the future of football in Cameroon. He was buried in a large sports complex in the outskirts of Yaoundé but it looks like sports authorities have largely neglected the structure. Why do you think that is the case? Franklin Sone Bayern: Is that surprising to you? We don’t seem to understand the need for sports infrastructure. For all the name and money Cameroon has made from football victories, is there any sport infrastructure to show after stadiums in Yaounde and Douala built 40 years ago for the 1972 AFCON? The only major additions are the Chinese offer of a multipurpose sports complex in Yaounde and the two stadium projects in Limbe and Bafoussam, both still Chinese initiatives. So, no surprise that the sentimental promises to complete Foe’s project evaporated as the emotion of Foe’s death dissipated. Now, part of that structure is used as a church. Maybe that is a befitting outcome that an abandoned lofty project be used as a place of worship. Maybe the worship songs give him comfort! Martin Etonge: I think the authorities have not been of any help in completing that structure for two reasons: 1 – how do you put government money into a private project? 2 – The family has been quarrelling over who to manage the property and that has not helped matters. How should sports fans remember MVF? Martin Etonge: For his courage and talent. Copy the good example of his service to the nation. Franklin Sone Bayern: As the leader who held the Indomitable Lions together and boasted team spirit, and whose demise opened the way for the infamous “2004” clique that hijacked the team and spoiled team spirit leading to the demise of the Lions. The 2004 clique was made up of keeper Idriss Carlos Kameni (1), striker Samuel Eto’o (9), midfielder Geremi Njitap (8) and defender [captain] Rigobert Song (4). The Clique fell apart in the run up to the 2010 World Cup and left the team in warring factions that ruined eventually ruined their 2010 AFCON and World Cup. The team is yet to recover from it. MVF must be turning in his grave now because since his death, Cameroonian football appears to have died with him. What can be done now to revive football in Cameroon? Franklin Sone Bayern: Dissolve the football federation even at the risk of a Fifa sanction and make a fresh start. Cameroon football administration is in troubled waters. Whether this is a consequence of Foe’s death and absence from the team or it’s a mere coincidence, it just stands true that Cameroon has not known football glory since Foe’s demise. We have lived ten years in the wilderness. After winning two consecutive AFCON titles and reaching the 2003 Confederations Cup final (he died during the semi-final), Cameroon has not reached even the semi-finals of any competition since then. Some people believe it’s a curse. Hard to say how, but I believe Foe’s exit from the team damaged team spirit and led to on-pitch failures that now expose the shortcomings of football administration hitherto covered up by Lions’ victories. Martin Etonge: We need good a good and appropriate manager to be able to develop the game from scratch. Restructure the sector in charge of training youths, so that the best talents can blossom and become stars. Also, check corruption that is sapping all development projects in Cameroon.
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| 3 He was buried in a large sports complex in the outskirts of yaounde but it looks like sports authorities have largely neglected the structure. Why is this the case.Martin Etonge: I think the authorities have not been of any help in completing that structure for two reasons: 1 – how do you put government money into a private project? 2 – The family quarrels over who to manage the property has not been of any help. 4 How should sports fans remember MVFMartin Etonge: For his courage and talent. Copy the good example of service to the nation.5 MVF musty be turning in his grave now because since his death, Cameroonian football appears to have died with him. What can be done now to revive football in Cameroon?Martin Etonge: We need good and appropriate manager to be able to develop the game from crash. Restructure the sector in charge of training youths, so that the best talents can blossom and become stars. Not forgetting to check corruption that is sapping all development projects in Cameroon
1 You covered MVF funeral. What did he represent to you as a journalist? Franklin Sone Bayern: I was both a reporter and a mourner that day. I saw a young hero leaving too soon. I saw a nation mourn him like one family. I saw the world-wide footballing movement share in the grief of the Foe family and Cameroon. Fifa president Sepp Blatter was present. That added a feather to my cap as a reporter covering Blatter. It was my first exposure to an international football figure of his standing. Now that looks so ordinary after covering AFCON and the World Cup. President Biya and his wife Chantal also honoured Foe at the funeral mass, but I had covered Biya from close quarters at the Presidential Palace earlier that year when Cameroon won the U-17 AFCON. Nevertheless, covering Foe’s funeral brought me more grief than personal honour. He was a rae gem in the team. Like Marcel Desailly once said of himself in the French team, Foe was the leader, though Rigobert Song was the captain. And Foe could have been both had injury not kept him out of the 1998 World Cup after which Song succeeded Omam Biyick. Martin Etonge: A very talented footballer who passed on before fans could realized the best from him. His courage, calmness, talent and fighting spirit were sources of inspiration to many youths Not much. Sincerely I think only the tears of mourners are the legacies left behind. His generosity too. Because no other player has been able to reproduce what Marc Vivien Foe embodied in the national team. The team has won no major title since Foe left. And performance has greatly dropped. Franklin Sone Bayern: On the material part of it, he left a sports complex that has hardly been completed, a huge commercial building in Yaounde and some houses Ten years later, what will you say is the legacy MVF left behind? Franklin Sone Bayern: It would have been a rich material legacy had his dream sports complex been finished and put into use. That sadly was abandoned in spite of the flurry of promises from teammates in the national team and his foreign clubs, and other international football stars and institutions, to do everything to immortalize him. Sadly also, his professional legacy as a national team player has revealed that his departure turned the light that made the Indomitable Lions shine. Never before Foe’s demise had the Lions been so consistently lacklustre as in these 10 years since his departure. Maybe the best legacy of Foe is the fond memory of his life, that he lived a useful life as a football player and had a vision for the future of football in Cameroon. He was buried in a large sports complex in the outskirts of yaounde but it looks like sports authorities have largely neglected the structure. Why do you think that is the case? Franklin Sone Bayern: Is that surprising to you? We don’t seem to understand the need for sports infrastructure. For all the name and money Cameroon has made from football victories, is there any sport infrastructure to show after stadiums in Yaounde and Douala built 40 years ago for the 1972 AFCON? The only major additions are the Chinese offer of a multipurpose sports complex in Yaounde and the two stadium projects in Limbe and Bafoussam, both still Chinese initiatives. So, no surprise that the sentimental promises to complete Foe’s project evaporated as the emotion of Foe’s death dissipated. Now, part of that structure is used as a church. Maybe that is a befitting outcome that an abandoned lofty project be used as a place of worship. Maybe the worship songs give him comfort! Martin Etonge: I think the authorities have not been of any help in completing that structure for two reasons: 1 – how do you put government money into a private project? 2 – The family quarrelling over who to manage the property has not been of any help. How should sports fans remember MVF? Martin Etonge: For his courage and talent. Copy the good example of service to the nation. Franklin Sone Bayern: As the leader who held the Indomitable Lions together and boosted team spirit, and whose demise opened the way for the infamous “1984” click to take hold of the team and spoil team spirit leading to the Indomitable Lions own demise. 1984 was the click of keeper Idriss Carlos Kameni (1), striker Samuel Eto’o (9), midfielder Geremi Njitap (8) and defender [captain] Rigobert Song (4). It fell apart in the run up to the 2010 World Cup and left the team in warring factions that ruined their 2010 AFCON and World Cup. The team is yet to recover from it. MVF must be turning in his grave now because since his death, Cameroonian football appears to have died with him. What can be done now to revive football in Cameroon? Franklin Sone Bayern: Dissolve the football federation even at the risk of a Fifa sanction and make a fresh start. Cameroon football administration is deep in bondage. Whether this is a consequence of Foe’s death and absence from the team or it’s a mere coincidence, it just stands true that Cameroon has not known football glory since Foe’s demise. We have lived tens years in the wilderness, these ten years since Foe died. After winning two consecutive AFCON titles and reaching the 2003 Confederations Cup final (he died during the semi-final), Cameroon have not reached even the semi-finals of any competition and turmoil has visited both the game and its administration with the football federation in fracas as we speak. Some people believe it’s a curse. Hard to say how, but I believe his exit from the team damaged team spirit and led to on-pitch failures that now expose the shortcomings of football administration hitherto covered up by Lions’ victories. Martin Etonge: We need good and appropriate manager to be able to develop the game from crash. Restructure the sector in charge of training youths, so that the best talents can blossom and become stars. Not forgetting to check corruption that is sapping all development projects in Cameroon
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