South Americans the flavour for all seasons in the local top flight 

While some may say that the influx of South American players into the Premier Soccer League may be a little bit too much, the truth of the matter is that they have come in and set the premiership scene alight with their flair and flamboyance. 

Take for instance the game between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs last weekend, Brazilian star Lucas Ribeiro Costa scored the only goal of the match, while Chilean international Marcelo Allende walked away with the man-of-the-match accolade. 

Even during the Sundowns versus Orlando Pirates match three weeks ago, Ribeiro was the star of the show when he scored a brace and assisted in their 4-1 win. 

Since the dawn of the PSL era, Masandawana were the first club to start the trend of luring South Americans and it has now become a part of their DNA. 

  

Lucas Ribeiro (Brazil) 

Lucas Ribeiro’s game is deeply rooted in the famous Brazilian Samba as he terrorises defenders week in, week out with his finesse and dazzle on the ball. 

Currently leading the chase for the golden boot with 12 goals, Ribeiro is already the front-runner for the Player of the Season, Player’s Player of the Season and Midfielder of the Season honours, among others, so far this season. 

  

Gaston Sirino (Uruguay) 

Despite being in the twilight of his career, at the age of 34, Gaston Sirino is still a very good player and impactful on his day. 

Sirino has spent more than five seasons in the PSL and will go down as one of the most decorated South Ameri-cans with seven league titles, Nedbank Cup, MTN 8, Telkom Knockout (now Carling Knockout) and African Football League with Sundowns. 

  

Arthur Sales (Brazil) 

One of the most underrated players in the Betway Premiership this season, Sales is proving his doubters wrong as he has scored more goals and provided more assists than fan favourites Relebohile Mofokeng and Patrick Maswanganyi, 

Sales has featured in less league appearances than the Orlando Pirates duo but has found the back of the net three times and assisted five times. 

  

Lucas Suarez (Argentina) 

Lucas Suarez has not even spent over two months in the PSL but he has already cemented his position in the Sundowns defence. 

The lanky Argentinian left-footed centre back already has a goal to his name and should be crucial for Masandawana going into the business-end of the campaign. 

  

Marcelo Allende (Chile) 

Since joining Sundowns in 2022, Marcelo Allende has consistently showed glimpses of his talent. Yes, glimpses, because he is just one of those players that are not always visible on the pitch, but their subtle impact is always appreciated by the coaches and fans. 

At some point in his career, he was on the wanted list of English Premier League giants Arsenal. 

  

Edson Castillo (Venezuela) 

Even though he has been on the sidelines for more than three months through injury, Kaizer Chiefs supporters are still yearning for the return of Edson Castillo, who is on course to making a return to the pitch. 

Before getting injured Castillo was one of the key players for Amakhosi. The Venezuelan is strong in the air and always makes dangerous box entries. He is also the only South American in the PSL that gets called up to his national team. 

Other South American connections who have graced the PSL include Darwin Gonzales, Leonardo Castro, Jose Torrealba, Junior Mendieta, Matias Esquivel, Vinicius da Silva, Jorge Acuna, Ricardo Nascimento, Vicente Principiano, Jose Meza and Emiliano Tade to mention a few more. 

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Siyasanga Monoalibe