Lucas Ribeiro’s Return to South Africa? Roger De Sá Hails Former Sundowns Star

Amid the reports of Lucas Ribeiro potentially returning to South Africa to join Kaizer Chiefs, experienced coach Roger De Sá has praised his talents. 

De Sa further highlighted that Ribeiro's qualities could make him a superstar in Naturena, though there are no guarantees for his success. 

De Sa Lauds Ribeiro

Despite having exited South Africa on a rather bitter note, there is no denying that Lucas Ribeiro was on a level of his own during his time with Mamelodi Sundowns. 

The skill, flair, and precision of the player were something to behold, a feat that saw him dominate opposition defences all around the country. 

In an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.co.za, De Sa praised Ribeiro's skill sets, citing that he was one of the better exports in the country. 

"I think he's a fantastic player. I thought he was very good while he was here. With what I saw of him, he was very, very impressive. I thought he was one of the better exports we've had in quite some time, as far as strikers are concerned," De Sa told SportsBoom.co.za. 

Ribeiro to Chiefs?

Having signed a short-term deal that expires in June 2026 to join Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa in Spain's Segunda Division, there have been reports that the striker could be looking to go elsewhere. 

After all, Cultural Leonesa find themselves sitting at the bottom of the standings in the Segunda Division, fighting against relegation. 

To avoid playing in the lower division, considering the ambition of a player as talented as Ribeiro, an exit from the club would certainly be the logical move, should the club be relegated. 

Reports suggest that there are links between the striker and Kaizer Chiefs, a team that could also do with a quality player such as Ribeiro to bring back the glory days in Naturena. 

However, Ribeiro is also linked with Raja Casablanca and Al Rayyan, to name a few.

De Sa backs Ribeiro to be the solution to Chiefs' problems, or any team for that matter, but also highlighted that there is always uncertainty when it comes to players joining new teams. 

"The question is always going to be, will he be as good at Chiefs as he was at Sundowns, with the style of play, the type of players he had around him at Sundowns, versus the players he's got at Chiefs or any other club that he might join?" De Sa posed the question.  

"That's always going to be the question now. Does it suit his style of play, or does his style of play fit into the club that he's joining? That's got to be analysed as a club and obviously as a player, and make that decision."

"You just have to look overseas, where you had a guy like Mo Salah at Chelsea who was a reject. He went away, came back to Liverpool. He was a superstar. Sometimes it works the other way. So, it's not always that a guy's going to be a star wherever he goes."

"I think Ribeiro was very good at Sundowns. I thought he was one of the biggest influences on the team and a very good signing."

"But will he do the same at other clubs? Chances are, he will because he's a very good player, but there's never a certainty; there's always a doubt."