Tragedy has hit South African football this week, which has lost one of its most beloved players in an unfortunate incident, an attempted robbery, in which the footballer, just 24 years old, was shot dead.
“With great sadness, we announce the death of our player Luke Fleurs, who tragically lost his life on Wednesday in an attempted theft of his car in Johannesburg,” Kaizer Chiefs, his club in the African country, announced on their social networks.
The Chiefs are recognized as one of the most prominent teams in the countrywith twelve championship titles in South Africa and with one final of the African Champions League, that of 2021, to his credit.
According to the police version, the 24-year-old player was at a service station, about to refuel his Volkswagen Golf, when two individuals arrived in another vehicle.
It is with a great deal of sadness that we announce that Kaizer Chiefs player, Luke Fleurs tragically lost his life last night during a hijacking incident in Johannesburg.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
The SAPS are handling… pic.twitter.com/4CTCiH1I41
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) April 4, 2024
“The suspects threatened him with firearms and forced him out of his car, then shot him in the upper part of the body,” said a police spokesperson.
“One of the suspects took the victim’s carfollowed by his accomplice.
Despite being taken to hospital, the footballer was pronounced dead on arrival.
Although police have launched an investigation, no arrests had been made as of Thursday morning.
The incidence of crime is a persistent problem in South Africa, and is becoming a sensitive political issue as the general election approaches in May.
A promising career and his dream of looking like Puyol
Fleurs was originally from Cape Town, where he trained at Ubuntu Cape Town, before joining SuperSport United from 2018 to 2023. In addition, he represented his country at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, although he never made his debut with the senior national team, known as ‘Bafana Bafana’.
His great idol was the legendary Spanish defender Carles Puyol, whom he wanted to be like one day on the field as a center back.
His admiration was evident in a photo he uploaded to his social networks, when he met the former Barça captain in 2018: “He is very humble”he highlighted.
Now, South Africa and the world of football mourn the loss of this young talent in such tragic circumstances.
2024-04-04 12:52:06
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