Mamelodi Sundowns import Lucas Ribeiro has made a name for himself in the Premier Soccer League owing to his exploits.
He was signed by Masandawana in the 2023/24 season and ended up playing 37 games with a return of 16 goals and nine assists. In the ongoing campaign, the 26-year-old has played 32 games already scoring 16 goals with 10 assists in the process.
Ribeiro has the quality to play for any national team owing to his exploits. However, he has not been capped by Brazil. He is still ineligible to play for South Africa since he must reside in the country for five years, and he is just into his second one.
Former Orlando Pirates player Freitas Camilo has further explained why Ribeiro might not be considered by Selecao.
“What is crazy about this is that we don’t even know Ribeiro Costa here in Brazil,” he said as quoted by SNL24.
No one seems to know Ribeiro?
“I have asked people in the football circles, but no one seems to know. He is not even mentioned anywhere in the media, but then this is how it is here in Brazil. The football landscape here in Brazil is like no other in the world because we are the biggest exporters of players.
“We have players all over the world, some of whom are now even playing for different national teams. I can walk into the streets now and find municipal workers capable of playing in the top leagues of some lowly countries.
This boy [Ribeiro] played for Pinheiro Atletico Clube, which is a very small club playing in the State League in Maranhao in the northeast of the country. He wouldn’t have been able to break through here in Brazil, so it helped that he went to Europe at that young age. The other club mentioned, which he played for at junior level, is Moto Club, who are also from Maranhao.
“Not sure how I can explain this, but it is like a Fourth or Fifth Division club from a place like Kruger National Park.”I’m glad the boy is a Brazilian doing well in the PSL because personally, I have a connection with South Africa since I played there,” Camilo concluded.
