Sundowns’ Cupido speaks on Lucas Ribeiro exit talk

Mamelodi Sundowns defender, Keanu Cupido, has weighed in on the transfer talks surrounding star attacker Lucas Ribeiro Costa. With speculation mounting about Ribeiro’s future, Cupido acknowledged the significant impact his teammate’s potential exit would have on the reigning champions.

Ribeiro Costa has been the talk of the town, fresh off an incredible haul at the 2025 PSL Awards. The highly-rated Brazilian won major accolades on Tuesday night, walking away with the Betway Premiership Goal of the Season, Player’s Player of the Season, Betway Premiership Top Goal Scorer, and the prestigious Footballer of the Season award. Videos of his hotel celebrations quickly went viral across social media.

His exceptional performances were pivotal in Sundowns securing their eighth consecutive league title and reaching the CAF Champions League final, where they narrowly lost 3-2 on aggregate to Egypt’s Pyramids FC. Last season alone, the 26-year-old was a goal-scoring and playmaking machine, netting 21 goals and providing 14 assists in 51 matches across all competitions.

Ribeiro also lit up the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, scoring a sublime goal against Borussia Dortmund that was crowned the Best Goal of the tournament, attracting interest from clubs including his home country’s Fluminense FC.

With reports indicating Ribeiro has already left the Sundowns camp in Rustenburg, fueling speculation of an imminent move, Cupido reflected on the void he would leave behind.

“Lucas is a very good player, I think each and every one will miss a player like that,” Cupido stated at the MTN8 launch in Randburg on Wednesday night. “Even if you go into your workspace, if someone has to leave, you’ll feel it, but for us as Mamelodi Sundowns, if it does happen, we wish him well.”

However, Cupido remains optimistic about Sundowns’ depth and ability to adapt: “At Mamelodi Sundowns, there’s a lot of quality [players] as well that can fill up where he left off; there are youngsters that can grow into being players like Luca