The 28-year-old collapsed and died playing in Thursday's semi-final against Colombia but the Indomitable Lions chose to go ahead with the final after Foe's wife Marie-Louise urged them to play as a tribute to her husband.

Thierry Henry, whose golden goal in the seventh minute of extra time brought the game and the competition to a conclusion, said: "When I scored I knew that was it but my feelings were mixed in my head."

The Arsenal ace, whose four-goal haul earned him the golden boot title as the competition's highest scorer, added: "I did my job, now for me it's rest, rest, rest."

Marcel Desailly, skipper of Les Bleus for whom this was a morale-boosting result after last summer's World Cup debacle, said his side had tried to be professional playing in a match some, including himself, would have preferred not to take place.

"We knew Marc-Vivien Foe's family were in the stands. We tried to be as respectful as possible, but all the same it was difficult," he said.

"The Cameroons played well, they were applicated and engaged. I don't know whether I could have found the strength in their place."

For Djibril Cisse, who had a header go close in the first half, the lasting image of an extraordinary night was the two captains Desailly and Rigobert Song emerging onto the pitch holding a giant photograph of the fallen lion.

"It was very hard to play considcering the circumstances. Marco was a friend, we dedicate the victory to him," said the Auxerre striker.

"The result doesn't wipe out our elimination from the World Cup but it goes some way to putting things in their place," he added.

Fellow striker Sidney Govou, a former teammate of Foe's at French champions' Lyon, described the atmosphere in the Stade de France as "strange".

"The ambiance weighed on our emotions throughout the match. You could sense we were a little apprehensive."

He added that winning counts even if the final was "a very special occasion".

Midfielder Olivier Dacourt singled out the solidarity shown by both sets of players.

"It was moving. Marco was a great warrior in spirit, and at least we could give everything for him even if it was hard to go through with.

"The emotion was enormous, it's always harder when emotions are running high."

Lyon keeper Gregory Coupet insisted that by staging the final they had gone along with the wishes of Foe's family.

"The Cameroons wanted to play, and we respected their wishes and those of Marie-Louise (Foe's widow).

"This title is for Marco. For me I will keep the image of a fallen lion."

One of the most touching tributes to Foe was paid by his own coach, Winfried Schafer.

The German said that in all his 35 years in football he had never met anyone with such a remarkable character.

"Marco wasn't simply a good footballer, but a huge character. It's a loss for all of Cameroon. tonight they played for all of Africa."

Despite the wretched circumstances Schafer said he was able to look to the the African and Olympic champions' future with optimism.

"It's going to be a good one," insisted the coach who disclosed that Cameroon skipper Song had offered him invaluable support over the past few days.

Song, who grew up in the same district in Yaounde as Foe, reflected: "A night like that stays in the memory a long time.

"Everyone was behind us, but all the same we're a little disappointed about the deal we made with Marco (to win).

"Yet we proved we had the ability to compete in a competition of this quality."