JUNIOR MALANDA, a promising midfielder with Wolfsburg, has tragically died in a car accident on Saturday afternoon.
The 20-year-old, who died at the scene of the accident, had been a back seat passenger when the driver lost control and slid off the road, police said.
He had been on his way to join up with his Wolfsburg teammates for a winter-break in South Africa, but died at Porta Westfalica on his way to Hanover airport.
The Belgian FA have released a statement on their website expressing their “condolences to his family and loved ones.”
“The world of football has lost a great talent. Junior Malanda passed away this afternoon at the age of 20 years,” it read.
Before joining the Bundesliga club, Malanda had played at Anderlecht in Belgium and at Lille in France. He had 15 under-21 caps with Belgium and had played 10 German league games this season.
Team mates have been paying their respects on social media since the tragic news broke.
