Defender Fleurs joined Kaizer Chiefs last October
South African footballer Luke Fleurs has been shot dead in a car hijacking, police say.
The shooting took place at a petrol station on Wednesday night in the Johannesburg suburb of Florida.
The 24-year-old Kaizer Chiefs star was waiting to be attended to when he was approached by unknown gunmen, who ordered him to get out of the vehicle.
One of the suspects is reported to have fled the scene with Fleurs' car after the shooting.
"The suspects pointed [at] him with a firearm and took him out of his vehicle, then shot him once on the upper body," Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo told local media.
Kaizer Chiefs, one of the most popular clubs in the country and 12-time league champions, described his death as "tragic".
The club said police were handling the matter and further details would be communicated in due course.
Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa said he was "saddened that yet another life has been cut short due to violent crime".
Defender Fleurs joined Kaizer Chiefs last year, having previously played for SuperSport United.
The former Under-23 international represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
He had not yet played for the senior national team but was reported to be nearing his debut.
On their website, Kaizer Chiefs describe Fleurs as a "classy defender" with "great technical abilities".
He began his career in 2013 in the Ubuntu Cape Town Academy, according to local media.
The Premier Soccer League said a moment of silence will be observed at all top-flight and second-tier games this weekend in memory of Fleurs.
"We woke up to the heart-breaking and devastating news of the passing of this young life," South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan said in a statement.
"This is such a huge loss for his family, friends, his teammates and football in general."
Football fans have taken to social media to mourn him.
"The football family has lost a bright flame," soccer presenter Carol Tshabalala posted on social media platform X.
South Africa is grappling with increasing gun violence, with several mass shootings reported in recent years. The country has one of the world's highest murder rates, according to police data.
Renowned Formula One figure Flavio Briatore has been seen with two women several years his junior having split from his former partner 45 years younger than him. Briatore, 75, was spotted aboard a yacht in the south of France last week with his 15-year-old son also in tow as they soaked up the summer sun. The Italian, who has recently made a return to F1, was seen conversing in a pair of red swimm...
The world's sexiest volleyball star has amassed an enormous following on social media with her glamorous photos.Kayla Simmons has shown off her sideboob in a new Instagram postShe posed for a series of snaps while enjoying the sunShe was zoned out with her Beats headphonesShe also read a historical fiction bookKayla, 29, often wows her fans with raunchy pictures on Instagram as she travels the wor...
No doubt Spurs fans will be thinking that if their new playmaker, arriving from RB Leipzig for £52million, can have half as good an impact as Modric, who sparkled for four years before leaving for Real Madrid in 2012, then they will have landed a diamond.Tottenham landed Xavi Simons in a £52m transferSimons is good pals with NeymarSimons came through the famous La Masia Barcelona academy...
GRIMSBY TOWN shocked the world on the pitch against Manchester United but their players have been scoring off it too.The League Two side knocked the Red Devils out of the Carabao Cup on penalties on Wednesday evening.Charliese Leone is dating Grimsby captain Evan KhouriThey recently celebrated their two-year anniversaryThey first spoke to each other via DMsCharliese is a graphic designer and a cre...
Stunning TV presenter Diletta Leotta has landed a new role and has promised to be ‘pleasant to look at’ after defending her daring choice of outfit at her daughter’s birthday partyDiletta Leotta has landed a new jobStunning TV presenter Diletta Leotta has landed a new role on the Italian version of Match of the Day.Diletta has become a fan favourite on the screen having worked fo...
The current Inter Miami player was blunt with his words: "It's going to be special," he saidLionel Messi in a match with Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.Lionel Messi's performance with Inter Miami in the most recent Leagues Cup match (two goals to come from behind) was overshadowed by news unrelated to MLS. The Argentine talisman announced at the end of the match that the game with his national te...
The Canadian golfer is a former beauty pageant queen before she switched careers.Sara Michelle Winter turned heads at a golf tournament recentlyShe left fans amazed with her choice of outfitAnd Winter, 28, is still turning heads on golf courses, even when she's not playing.The social media star is fast emerging as a rival for Instagram golf queen Paige Spiranac.Winter has more than 500,000 followe...
Imagine soaking up the Mediterranean sunshine next to your very own infinity pool and relaxing in the onboard 'beach club' before being treated to a feast prepared by your private chef.Tottenham owner Joe Lewis owns a giant yacht that operates as his "mobile office"Zlatan Ibrahimovic knows how to show off his 34-metre superyachtRonaldo's yacht boasts five bedroomsOr picture yourself trying to work...
Injured Carroll is in Ibiza with girlfriend Lou Teasdale trying to repair their troubled relationship.Footballer Andy Carroll has defied his manager's warnings over his recent romance drama with Lou TeasdaleInjured Carroll is in Ibiza with girlfriend Lou Teasdale trying to repair their troubled relationshipBut it comes just weeks after Carroll, 36, was hauled in for a dressing-down by Dagenham &am...
Pep Guardiola's stunning daughter, Maria, asked the Manchester City boss to make a change over the summer she deemed as "awful"Maria Guardiola asked her dad to change one thingPep Guardiola admitted he had to make a change over the summer after his daughter branded it "awful".Guardiola is looking to turn around the fortunes of Manchester City after a below par season from him and his lofty standar...
