Sundowns’ Ribeiro open to playing for Bafana Bafana

Mamelodi Sundowns and Brazilian midfielder Lucas Ribeiro is open to playing for Bafana Bafana should the opportunity present itself in the future. 

At the moment, the 25-year-old does not qualify to play for the South African national football team, even though he also hasn’t been capped by the Seleção yet. For Ribeiro to be eligible for Bafana selection, he would, among other things, need to have resided in the country for five years. 

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“Unfortunately, at this time I have not received an offer to play for Bafana but it would be a pleasure to represent them,” Ribeiro responded when asked if he would entertain the idea of playing for the ’96 AFCON champions. 

“Not only because I’m playing in South Africa but the national team is also doing well, it’s playing at a high level and also because Bafana has many players that play for Sundowns. 

“If an opportunity were to present itself, it would be great because I think that I could adapt and assist the national team. If that request comes, I anticipate that from my end that it would be more positive but at the moment there’s no offer.” 

Ribeiro concedes that it would be hard for him to play for the country of his birth that boasts talents such as Real Madrid superstars Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo who play in his position. 

“The perspective of playing for the national team is a different story and difficult because the quality of players that play in the Brazilian national team is at a high level” he said. 

“If one gets an opportunity, it would also be a life-changing opportunity. From where I’m at, I’m enjoying the level and playing in South African football. I play with joy which is very key for any player to be happy. 

“I’m happy to be at this level and showcase my quality. The help of my teammates and the advice they give to me also plays a huge role. When it comes to the (Brazil) national team, it would be a big plus.” 

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Costa joined Sundowns from Belgian second division club SK Beveren ahead of the 2023-2024 season. He was impressive in his debut season with 20 goals from 37 matches for Sundowns across all competitions.