The highly anticipated reunion between Brazilian attacker Lucas Ribeiro Costa and his former mentor, Rulani Mokwena, has hit a massive roadblock. According to SABC Sport, Ribeiro’s potential blockbuster transfer to Libyan giants Al Ittihad Tripoli has been put on ice due to an unresolved, high-stakes legal battle with Mamelodi Sundowns.
Despite spending the recent season playing in Europe, the 27-year-old’s bitter contractual dispute with Masandawana remains an active volcano, forcing the ambitious Libyan club to exercise extreme caution before finalizing any formal agreement.
Why Al Ittihad Tripoli Placed the Deal on Hold
Al Ittihad—who are heavily backing manager Rulani Mokwena to build a powerhouse capable of dominating the CAF Champions League—are refusing to sign off on the player until they receive definitive legal clarity from FIFA’s Football Tribunal.
The Libyan outfit’s management wants 100% confirmation that Ribeiro was within his rights to walk away from Chloorkop. If FIFA ultimately rules in favor of Mamelodi Sundowns, any club that signs Ribeiro could face severe financial liabilities, compensation orders, or secondary sporting sanctions.
The Genesis of the Dispute: Why Ribeiro Left Sundowns
To understand the current gridlock, it is crucial to examine how the relationship between the reigning PSL Player of the Season and Chloorkop completely deteriorated:
- The Standoff: On 1 August 2025, Ribeiro abruptly terminated his contract with Sundowns (which was heavily locked in until June 2028), citing “just cause.”
- The Allegations: The Brazilian’s high-profile legal team, led by renowned sports attorney Jean-Louis Dupont, argued that Sundowns repeatedly blocked multi-million dollar transfer offers from elite clubs in Europe and the Gulf region by inflating his market valuation.
- The Club World Cup Hype: Following a sensational performance at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States—which included a spectacular “Goal of the Tournament” strike against Borussia Dortmund—Ribeiro felt his path to global stardom was being unfairly restricted by the Chloorkop hierarchy.
The Temporary Loophole
While Sundowns and the South African Football Association (SAFA) initially blocked the striker’s International Transfer Certificate (ITC), FIFA intervened on a provisional basis. Citing modern precedent from the landmark Lassana Diarra ruling, the world governing body allowed Ribeiro to continue practicing his profession while his legal case was reviewed.
Recent Form: The Spanish Stint
This loophole allowed the forward to spend the 2025/2026 campaign playing in Spain’s second tier, though the move didn’t yield the fairy-tale results he anticipated.
| Metric | Lucas Ribeiro (2025/26 Season Statistics) |
| Club | Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa (LaLiga 2) |
| Appearances | 30 (All Competitions) |
| Goals Scored | 5 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Current Status | Free Agent (Departed following Leonesa’s relegation to the 3rd tier) |
With Mamelodi Sundowns remaining entirely confident of a favorable outcome at the FIFA tribunal, the situation remains highly fluid. Rulani Mokwena’s dream of adding Ribeiro to a star-studded list of targets that already includes the likes of Thembinkosi Lorch and Stéphane Aziz Ki will have to wait until Zurich delivers its final verdict.
