The 2003 FIFA Confederations cup was thought to be an event surrounded by a festive atmosphere. After all, there were many excellent national teams that were going to take part in it. In many senses, it could be seen as some kind of mini FIFA World Cup. The best international football matches can be wagered on at the 1x Bet website, which features squads from all over the world.
The format of the competition had two groups of four teams each. The two best teams of each group advanced to a semi-final. After that, the winners faced each other in the final, while the losers faced each other in the third-match place.
Both France and Cameroon won their respective groups. After that, they beat Turkey and Colombia respectively, which made them face each other in the final. These two teams are excellent squads to wager on at the 1xBet platform. However, the final stages of the tournament would have an atmosphere far from the festive one that was expected.
A Sad Semi-final
Cameroon and Colombia faced each other in one of the semifinals of the competition. The match was celebrated on the 26th of June 2003. These two teams play very attractive football and have great players, therefore, betting on them on the 1xBet app can definitely be a great idea.
The match was won by the African team 1-0, with a goal scored by Pius Ndiefi. However, the final result of the match wasn’t the most remembered aspect of this event.
Marc-Vivien Foé was a very talented defensive midfielder who, at the time, was a Manchester City player. Before being in England, he played in other squads, such as:
- Canon Yaoundé;
- Lens;
- West Ham United;
- and Lyon.
He was also selected in the Cameroonian squad that played in the 2003 Confederations Cup. Coach Winfried Schäfer selected him as a starter in the aforementioned match against Colombia. The app 1xBet features all the matches of the Cameroonian team, where great wagers can be made.
In the 72nd minute of the contest, tragedy struck. Foé was in the middle of the match without any other player near him. Suddenly, he collapsed. It was immediately clear that something was very wrong. Medics from both the Cameroonian and Colombian teams rushed to help him. The midfielder had suffered a cardiac arrest, and while all efforts were made in trying to help the Cameroonian, it was not possible to bring him back to life.
Marc-Vivien Foé was pronounced dead 45 minutes after the incident started. France and Cameroon were supposed to play the final three days later. Players from both teams didn’t want to play it out of respect for the player. However, they ultimately didn’t. Thierry Henry scored the only goal of the match. But, French captain Marcel Desailly refused to lift the trophy after it was given to him.
