The state prosecutor in Lyon, France, says soccer star Marc-Vivien Foe of Cameroon died during the Confederations Cup last month because of a heart attack caused by an enlarged left ventricle.
State prosecutor Xavier Richaud presented the results of Foe's autopsy July 7. Tests have ruled out the presence of any illegal drugs. Cameroon's star midfielder collapsed and died June 26 in Lyon during his country's 1-0 Confederations Cup semifinal win against Colombia.
The same day the autopsy results were released, Foe was honored with a funeral at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde. Among those on hand for the ceremony were Cameroon's President Paul Biya and Joseph "Sepp" Blatter, the president of football's world governing body, FIFA.
A large banner in the cathedral showed a lion and the green, red and yellow colors of Cameroon's national flag. Written in French on the banner was the saying, "A lion never dies." The lion is the symbol of Cameroon's national soccer team, nicknamed "The Indomitable Lions."
The 28-year-old Foe starred for "The Indomitable Lions" teams that have won the last two African championships. He also played last season for the club Manchester City in England, on loan from the French club Lyon. On July 6 in the Cameroonian capital, an estimated 100,000 people paid their respects in Yaounde stadium, where the coffin of Marc-Vivien Foe was laid open.