Luke Fleurs, the ‘son’ who was loved by all who knew him

Ubuntu Football executive director Casey Prince mourned the loss of “a son” after Kaizer Chiefs defender Luke Fleurs was killed in a hijacking in Johannesburg on Wednesday night.

Fleurs joined Ubuntu when he was just 12 years old, and became the first player from the well-regarded Cape Town academy to feature for his national team and to play in the Premier Soccer League.

“I think Ubuntu is not a normal football club, so our relationship with our players is not normal and to lose a son is pretty devastating,” Prince told the Citizen on Thursday.

“The kids in the age groups hold a particularly important place in what we do because of the things they pioneered. Luke was a big part of that, as our first PSL player, our first national team player and first Olympian.”

Fleurs represented South Africa at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and joined SuperSport United from Ubuntu in 2018, making his debut in November of the same year. 

Fleurs played over 70 times for SuperSport before leaving as a free agent to sign a contract with Chiefs in October last year.

‘Everyone was drawn to him’

Prince added that Fleurs was a person that naturally drew people close to him.

“He is one of the kids I had a particularly close relationship with so I am obviously devastated,” said Prince.

“Luke never took anything too seriously.

“He was always relaxed and a lot of fun to be around. Everyone was drawn to him because of the aura he gave off. His time with us was not without challenges.

“(But) he was so easy to love because of who he was, the younger boys and the older boys, they all loved him.”

SuperSport head coach Gavin Hunt, meanwhile, also remembered a “nice guy.”

“What can you say, there are far too many young deaths. It is so sad, it hit us after the game (SuperSport played Golden Arrows on Wednesday night),” said Hunt.

“I only came in a bit later with him (at SuperSport), but I got to know him, he was a nice guy, there were no problems. He got a move to Chiefs and it was a big move for him.

“I know he hadn’t played, but I am sure he would have broken through at some time or another.

“He came from Ubuntu Cape Town, a really good amateur club down there, him and (SuperSport midfielder) Jesse Donn … It is really sad.”