Luke Fleurs‘ former teammate, Clayton Daniels, is broken. The 39-year-old star has remembered the slain Kaizer Chiefs as a joyful individual who loved his parents.
KAIZER CHIEFS PLAYER LUKE FLEURS DIES
As reported this week, the 24-year-old defender was shot dead on Wednesday during a hijacking in Gauteng’s Honeydew. His former SuperSport United teammate, Daniels, revealed that Luke Fleurs was set on buying a new house for his family out of Mitchells Plain.
“He was a happy soul, always smiling, he was like that on and off the field. Luke was a friendly person, and he wanted to make sure everyone was as happy as him and enjoying [life] like him,” Daniels told FARPost‘s Tokelo Mokhesi.
“Firstly, I would like to thank Luke’s parents for sharing their son with us in the football world. We became close friends, and I know how much he loved them. He always made time for them and wanted to make his parents proud; he had plans of buying them a house and renovating the house they were staying in.
“He loved his family, and everything he did was to give them a better living. They can take comfort in the fact that he was fighting hard on the field to make them proud. We’re all going to miss him a lot. I’m sure going to miss him,” Daniels concluded on Luke Fleurs.
GONE TOO SOON
The news of the player’s passing was confirmed by his club Kaizer Chiefs on Thursday.
“We are profoundly shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic and untimely passing of one of our players, Luke Fleurs,” the club confirmed.
“The 24-year-old former youth international lost his life after being shot during a hijacking on Wednesday evening in Johannesburg, He was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to gunshot wounds. Luke came to Kaizer Chiefs earlier this season before finally signing a two year deal with the Club in October 2023. He was yet to make an official appearance for Amakhosi, although he had sat on the bench for the team.
“The Club’s management, players and the technical team are all profoundly upset by this devastating turn of events. We convey our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this extremely difficult time. The Club will make further announcements at a later stage. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time. The SAPS are handling the matter and further details will be communicated in due course. May his dear soul rest in peace,” Kaizer Chiefs concluded.
Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs have decided to honour today’s DStv Premiership match against Chippa United. The game will be played at Buffalo City Municipality Stadium in East London at 15:00.
“While the deep sense of shock and sadness pervades throughout the camp from the tragic loss of one of our own, Luke Fleurs, Kaizer Chiefs will nevertheless go ahead and honour their DStv Premiership fixture against Chippa United on Saturday afternoon.
“The game in East London will be Amakhosi’s first there in five years, before that their last visit came against Tornado FC in 2019 in the Nedbank Cup. Apart from that game, Chiefs have not played many games in the Eastern Cape city, with the one previous to that was way back in 2005, against Bush Bucks.
The Kaizer Chiefs players, to a man, have pledged to dedicate the encounter to their fallen comrade, Luke Fleurs, who was expected to travel with the team to the Eastern Cape this weekend,” Amakhosi concluded.