Qatar 2022: How Romelu Lukaku Failed To Follow Father’s Footsteps After Dumping DR Congo for Belgium

• Romelu Lukaku has been blamed for Belgium’s World Cup disaster after missing glorious chances against Croatia
• The Inter Milan striker once narrated how fans blasted him for being of Congolese descent anytime he played badly
• The striker’s father, Roger was also a skilled footballer and went on to represent the Zaire national football team

Belgium’s golden generation of footballers crashed out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and many have blasted Romelu Lukaku for missing a handful of chances in their final group game against Croatia.

Against all odds, North African side Morocco emerged top of Group F and are through to the knockout phase of the Mundial along with Croatia.

Lukaku missed four glorious chances during the encounter as he also failed to tuck home from an easy tap-in.

The striker was born in Antwerp to Congolese parents, and his father, Roger played football and represented the Zaire national football team.

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Roger Lukaku featured for Zaire in the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds, and participated in the 1994 and 1996 Africa Cup of Nations.

He also had stints with clubs in Kinshasa before he moved to Belgium, playing for some teams.

Romelu Lukaku, on the other hand, opted to play for Belgium but is yet to win any major title with the national team. His best was a third-place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

He once explained how fans blasted him anytime he performed poorly, telling Player's Tribune:

“When things were going well, I was reading newspapers articles and they were calling me Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian striker. When things weren’t going well, they were calling me Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian striker of Congolese descent. If you don’t like the way I play, that’s fine."

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Martinez resigns as Belgium coach

Sports Brief earlier reported that after being in charge of Belgium since 2016, Martinez has been axed as coach of the Red Devils.

Despite the nation coming third at the 2018 World Cup, his time has been littered with criticism that he hasn't done enough to get the most out of the country's infamous 'Golden Generation'.

His contract was due to expire at the end of the tournament, and Martinez confirmed at a press conference that after Belgium's group stage exit, this was his last game in charge of the team.