Zaire (now DR Congo): Roger Lukaku, father of Romelu Lukaku, has passed away

Former Zaire international Roger Lukaku, father of Romelu Lukaku, has passed away.

Roger Lukaku died this Sunday at the age of 58. He arrived in Belgium in 1990 and played for Boom, Seraing, Germinal Ekeren, then had a brief stint in Turkey before returning to play for Mechelen and Ostend. Roger finished his career in the lower leagues. Scoring 47 goals in 135 Belgian top-flight matches, he earned 11 caps with Zaire, now the DR Congo. In recent years, he returned to the spotlight thanks to the careers of his sons, even though their relationship had become somewhat distant.

On Instagram, Romelu Lukaku posted a heartfelt tribute to honor his father's memory: "Thank you for teaching me everything I know. I am eternally grateful and I appreciate you. Life will never be the same. You protected and guided me like no one else could. I will never be the same. The pain and tears are overwhelming. But God will give me the strength to rebuild. Thank you for everything, my Papa."

Joshua SOSSOU

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As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.