Who is Lucas Ribeiro? Former Orlando Pirates player says 'we don’t even know the Mamelodi Sundowns star' - 'He is not even mentioned anywhere in Brazil'

Lucas Ribeiro was signed by Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2023/24 season.

In his debut season, he scored 16 goals and provided six assists in the 37 games played across all competitions.

The Brazilian has already scored 16 goals with 10 assists in just 32 outings so far in the 2024/25 season.

Many national teams would love to have such a player in their squad.

There have been even suggestions that the attacker should be given a chance by Bafana Bafana once he qualifies to get South African citizenship.

However, former Orlando Pirates player Freitas Camilo says Ribeiro is not even known in Brazil despite his heroics in the Premier Soccer League and Africa at large.

"What is crazy about this is that we don’t even know Ribeiro Costa here in Brazil," he told SNL24.

"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.

"He wouldn’t have been able to break through here in Brazil, so it helped that he went to Europe at that young age.

"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.

Ribeiro, without a doubt, is expected to represent Sundowns in the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup to be played in the United States from June 14 to July 13.

The versatile attacker can use the chance to prove to Brazil that he can be considered before Mzansi takes advantage of the situation in the next three years.