Confederation Cup final still on

Sunday’s Confederation Cup final will definitely go ahead in Paris despite the tragic death of Cameroon midfielder Marc--Vivien Foe, FIFA have confirmed.

Foe collapsed on the pitch during the second half of last night’s semi-final between Cameroon and Colombia at Lyon’s Stade Gerland, where he had played much of his club football for the local Ligue 1 team.

FIFA president said Sepp Blatter said in the aftermath of the tragedy that Sunday’s final between Cameroon and France at the Stade de France in Paris should still go ahead.

“Yes the game will go ahead as planned,” Aaron Leiblang, FIFA’s media officer at the Confederations Cup, told PA International this morning.

“I don’t have anything to add to that at the moment. Mr Blatter is just now arriving in Lyon to offer his personal condolences to Mr Foe’s family and the Cameroon camp.

“The FIFA flag and Cameroon flag will be flying at half-mast today.”

Tributes from around the world have poured in for the 28-year-old Foe, who is believed to have suffered an aneurysm during last night’s game.

Blatter said later: “My opinion is that during a competition like the Confederations Cup, football must go on.

“This is the first time in 28 years with FIFA that such a tragedy has occurred. I followed the match on television, I saw the player collapse and very fast I had a bad feeling.”