Arsenal-owned Super Eagles-eligible striker pays tribute to African-born France legend Fontaine

Arsenal-owned Super Eagles-eligible striker Folarin Balogun has paid tribute to Just Fontaine following his death on the night of Tuesday February 28 to Wednesday March 1 in Toulouse, at the age of 89. 

Born on August 18, 1933 in Marrakech (Morocco), Fontaine represented USM Casablanca before he was recruited by OGC Nice, where he quickly established a reputation as one of the most prolific strikers in the world. 

After winning the Championship with OGC Nice in 1956, he transferred to Balogun's current club Stade de Reims, with whom he won the French topflight title three times and the Coupe de France, and played in the final of the 1959 European Cup. 

Fontaine holds the record for the most goals in a single World Cup tournament, 13 in 1958, and that same year he finished with 18 goals for the French national team which is a one-year record. 

The African-born striker netted in all the matches he played in at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden : four goals against West Germany, a hat-trick against Paraguay, braces against Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland, and one each against Scotland and Brazil

He scored 164 goals in 200 national league matches, including 152 in 145 appearances for Stade de Reims.

"Légende du football français (French football legend)," Balogun wrote in French on Twitter, and the tweet was accompanied by a picture of Just Fontaine. 

Balogun has mustered 16 goals in 26 outings for Stade de Reims since joining the club on a season-long loan from Arsenal last summer. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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