South African Footballer Luke Fleurs Shot Dead.

By Caroline Ameh
South African footballer Luke Fleurs has lost his life in a car hijacking incident, according to police reports.

The 24-year-old Kaizer Chiefs defender was shot dead at a petrol station in the Johannesburg suburb of Florida while awaiting service.

Unknown assailants ordered Fleurs out of his vehicle at gunpoint before fatally shooting him in the upper body, Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed.

Kaizer Chiefs, a renowned club in South Africa, expressed grief over Fleurs’ death and stated that authorities are handling the investigation.

Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa lamented the loss, condemning violent crime as yet another promising life is cut short.

Fleurs, who joined Kaizer Chiefs last year, had represented South Africa in the Under-23 team at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and was on the verge of a senior national team debut.

Described as a “classy defender” with “great technical abilities,” Fleurs began his career in the Ubuntu Cape Town Academy in 2013.

The Premier Soccer League announced a moment of silence in memory of Fleurs during all top-flight and second-tier games this weekend.

The South African Football Association president, Danny Jordaan, mourned Fleurs’ passing, calling it a significant loss for his family, friends, teammates, and the football community.

Football enthusiasts flooded social media with tributes, remembering Fleurs as a bright talent.