Mamelodi Sundowns Lucas Ribeiro says he is Surprised Teboho Mokoena is still playing in South Africa. Photographer Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
Mamelodi Sundowns star midfielder Lucas Costa Ribeiro is surprised that fellow teammate and Bafana Bafana hard man Teboho Mokoena is still playing his football in South Africa.
The Brazilian said that players with the kind of attributes Mokoena possesses can easily compete in the top leagues in Europe.
"Tebza is one of the players,“ Ribeiro told Radio 2000’s Thabiso Mosia this week.
“It surprises me with all the attributes and the qualities he has. He is strong, has a physical presence and with the ability to score outside the box, he also runs a lot so he has got all the all-round qualities that you can get from a midfielder.
“It still surprises that he is my teammate in South Africa because players of that quality you probably see them in top clubs in Europe,” he said.
Mokoena has been one of Sundown's most consistent players in recent years. He won the Footballer of the Season award last year and has been in scintillating form for the yellow nation again this season.
In addition, the 27-year-old was also a key figure for Bafana Bafana during the African Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire earlier this year.
As a result of his strong performances for both club and country, the midfielder has attracted interest from clubs abroad, however, the Masandawana are keen to keep ahold of the player and are negotiating with the player over a new deal which will see him extend his stay at the club.
As the DSTV Premiership draws to a close, it would be interesting to see if the Shoe Shine and Piano are successful in their attempts to tie down one of their most prized possessions in Mokoena.
IOL Sports
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