Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Lucas Ribeiro has been one of the most consistent players in the Premier Soccer League.
The Brazilian joined Masandawana in the 2023/24 season; in his debut campaign, the 26-year-old played 37 games across all competitions with a return of 16 goals and nine assists. In the ongoing campaign, the South American has already played 10 matches in all tournaments from which he has six goals and three assists.
His latest strike was against Cape Town City in the Premier Soccer League fixture which Masandawana won 3-0.
PSL should have quality players like LaLiga had Messi and Ronaldo
Sundowns assistant coach Steve Komphela insists Ribeiro is a quality player who should be retained in the PSL just like La Liga did to Lionel Messi and Ronaldo a couple of seasons ago.
“It is good to have the PSL with good quality players. And the product gets there. If LaLiga says ‘no, let’s hang on to Messi, hang on to Ronaldo’ they want to have a good product that internationally re-invites broadcasters and all that, and then the league becomes prestigious and there is better investment,” he said ahead of the Carling Knockout game against Kaizer Chiefs.
“So the PSL must do the same, and Ribeiro is the kind of player we say just before he goes somewhere else, ‘guys, what can we do? Can we get some partnership to secure this guy for the prestige and the level of the league?.'”
Ribeiro makes the finishing easy
Komphela then opened up on Ribeiro's seemingly easy finish in the game against the Citizens played on Wednesday.
“In terms of the level of the finishing, he made it look so easy, that connection is one of the most difficult. I’ll tell you why, Khuliso Mudau breaks out wide. In terms of your angles, the ball is not played back, per se, it is slightly in line [and] that’s the most difficult connection when you have to connect a square pass, your timing has to be perfect,” he stated.
“The benefit is that the ball came across from his right shoulder and then he connected with the left, which then gives him leverage of you can swing and come opposite of the ball and then it becomes a hell of a goal.
“I don’t know how many keepers [save it], not unless you’re in the line of the strike, then you raise your arm and it touches the ball. But the speed of the ball was insane inside the box.”
Shalulile lauded for his intelligence
Namibia international Peter Shalulile grabbed a brace in that fixture and Komphela explains how it helped Ribeiro score.
“But leave Ribeiro, then go back to Peter Shalulile and give him credit for dragging the defender to the near post. Peter dragged the defender to the near post, then left Ribeiro, left Peter, complement Mudau for making a pass and not a cross,” the 57-year-old added.
“That’s why I always say football players are geniuses, they are geniuses who think with their feet. It needs a lot of training, and a lot of understanding to execute that.
“But at the end of the day, after you’ve put all the ingredients, the one who enjoys the soup simply says the soup was nice.”
