Is Lucas Ribeiro Costa Bafana Bafana’s missing piece? – citizenship conversations sparked

by Nomonde Simelane

Brazilian native Lucas Ribeiro Costa has pulled off an impressive campaign for Mamelodi Sundowns since he arrived in 2023, and has continued to look comfortable with Masandawana, leading fans to campaign for his South African citizenship.

With the help of the deep pockets of their billionaire owner Patrice Motsepe, Mamelodi Sundowns has managed to always secure their pick of the litter when it comes to local and international players. In 2023, Masandawana secured Brazilian forward Lucas Ribeiro Costa as an addition to their already strong team, and the Brazilian has fit right in Sundowns’ system which has allowed him to thrive and separate himself from his peers in terms of precision and decision-making.

Lucas has garnered Mzansi’s attention and has become the talk of the town as he continues to display top-quality performances day in and day out, and is set to secure this season’s Golden Boot award as the leading goalscorer. As the season continues to develop, he has also sparked conversations around putting his name in the hat for Footballer of the Season, as the numbers reveal that he would be a deserving recipient.

Fans of the game have noted Lucas’ performance, and have begun campaigning for the process for him to officially join the Bafana Bafana squad. This mission is essentially a hopeless one as one of the criteria to qualify for citizenship is at least five years of residency in the country, which Lucas has not accumulated yet.

However, this has not stopped viewers, as they are convinced that the Brazilian player is the potential missing piece to the already well-oiled Bafana Bafana team. According to these supporters, his talent is undeniable, and it would be a mistake on Bafana Bafana’s part to not call him up as his addition to the team would significantly improve the team’s chances at the upcoming 2028 World Cup.

One user has suggested a possible solution that is worth considering, which is for one South African woman to take one for the whole country and marry Lucas, which would grant him almost immediate citizenship, thus allowing him to join the Bafana Bafana squad sooner, rather than later.

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