• Henry scores golden goal to ensure France defend title on home soil

  • Tournament overshadowed by tragic death of Marc-Vivien Foe

  • Both teams display solidarity and humanity in final

The
stakes

France
entered the competition as defending champions after beating Japan 1-0 in the
2001 final. However, their success did not prove a good omen for the FIFA World
Cup™ the following year, when, as title holders, Les Bleus exited the tournament after the group stage
with one point and not a single goal to their name.


Despite
this disappointment, Jacques Santini’s side appeared rejuvenated on home turf
at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2003, winning their three group matches against
Colombia (1-0), Japan (2-1) and New Zealand (5-0) before overcoming Turkey 3-2
in a free-scoring semi-final.


Coached
by Winfried Schafer, Cameroon made a dream start to the tournament by beating
Brazil 1-0, defeating Turkey by the same scoreline with a penalty in stoppage
time and securing top spot in their group thanks to a goalless draw with USA.
Although Africa’s representatives came through their last-four encounter with
Colombia with another 1-0 victory, the result was overshadowed by the tragic
death of Indomitable Lions midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe, who collapsed
unexpectedly on the pitch during the game and later passed away.

The decisive
goal

With both
teams forming a circle to observe a minute’s silence for Foe before the final
kicked off, the match got off to an understandably slow start. While Henry
threatened to break the deadlock several times before actually scoring, Cameroon also had
good opportunities to take the lead through Pius Ndiefi and Samuel Eto’o.


With the game still scoreless after 90 minutes, Henry
finally made the breakthrough seven minutes into extra time. After Lilian Thuram successfully picked out
the striker with a long ball into area from the right wing, the
Arsenal legend beat Cameroon goalkeeper Idriss Carlos Kameni from a tight angle with a first-time strike from close range. With this
golden goal, France became the first team to defend the FIFA Confederations Cup
title, while Henry’s four strikes earned him the adidas Golden Boot and Golden Ball.

The
goalscorer

Between
1994 and 2014, Henry enjoyed an illustrious career in which he represented
Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls. After being
transformed from a winger to a centre forward by compatriot Arsene Wenger
during his time with the Gunners, the Frenchman’s pace and technical skill
helped him to become a true goal machine. He was also an integral part of
Arsenal’s Invincibles, who won the 2003/04 Premier League title without
losing a single match.


As well
as winning domestic championship titles on five occasions, Henry’s extensive
honours list includes a UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup double
with Barcelona in 2009. Undoubtedly his greatest success was winning the 1998
FIFA World Cup™ on home turf, an unforgettable victory that was followed by
triumph at UEFA EURO 2000 and a 2006 FIFA World Cup™ runners-up medal.

Unsurprisingly,
the affable striker also collected numerous individual accolades during his
career, including a spot in the FIFA 100 list and two second-place finishes
in the FIFA World Player of the Year vote. With his considerable expertise
currently in demand as an assistant coach to the Belgian national team, we may
yet see Henry standing on the touchline as a head coach somewhere.

What they said

“There was
plenty of respect between the teams; it was much calmer than usual. After the
match ended, everyone’s thoughts returned to Marc-Vivien Foe. The players’
reactions showed that they were just normal people. They showed that some
things are far more important than winning or losing.” Match referee Valentin Ivanov

“He was in
the penalty box, the ball came to him and he fired it past the keeper. I wanted
to go and make sure that it had really gone in, but there was no need for that.
Thierry wheeled around in celebration and we chased after him. Afterwards we
all walked around the stadium together with a photo of Marc-Vivien. It was
extremely moving and still makes me very emotional even now. We made our way
around the arena all mixed in together; it was a good moment, a really good
moment.” France striker Djibril Cisse

“It wasn’t
easy as we had messed up the 2002 World Cup, where we didn’t manage to win a
single match.” France midfielder Robert Pires

“We had
decided that we should play the final for [Foe], in memory of him and only for
him. [The circle both teams made before kick-off] showed how Marc-Vivien always
brought people together. He was a wonderful friend and our brother.” Cameroon goalkeeper Idriss Carlos Kameni

Previously:
Rasmussen on the break
Blanco bags Mexico’s maiden title
Vieira heads France to victory

Next up: Lucio enjoys golden comeback