BRAZILLIAN LUCAS RIBEIRO ALVES JOINS KWARA UNITED, 2020/2021 NPFL SEASON

Nigerian club Kwara United have unveiled Brazillian Lucas Ribeiro Alves on a loan deal with the Ilorin base outfit.

The 25 year-old who had stints at Corinthians and Pao De Acucar in Brazil and Seahorses LA in the US is a winger and Kwara United Chairman Kumbi Titiloye believes he will be an asset to the Afonja Warriors in the 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional League Season.

“Bringing Lucas down was made possible between the club and his agent. And we are happy to have him in Ilorin,” Titiloye said.

“Lucas is a wonderful footballer with vision, good passes, a wonderful final touch and he’s also good at set pieces. So, we’ve got a great talent on our hands ahead of the incoming season.”
Alves can’t wait to get going at his new club.

“I’ll give my best here. I always play for the team, and not for personal glory.”

Meanwhile according to The Punch, some fans are skeptical of Kwara United’s ability to pay the Brazillian’s wages, with several clubs in the domestic topflight league struggling to pay their players and staff salaries and allowances.

“How much are they going to pay him, it is better if you play for Brazilian local league than to come and play in the Nigerian league, maybe he is not a real Brazilian,” one of the fans, Matthew Owuleke, wrote on Facebook.

But Titiloye said payment of salaries and allowances was not an issue at the club.

“I can tell you confidently that he (Alves) is not the highest paid player at the club, so we won’t have any problem paying him,” he stated.

“It’s a pity this country has degenerated so much that we see nothing good in this country…but we have the habit of treating foreigners fine. So, I believe this guy will enjoy his stay in Nigeria,” Ojo Olamilekan stated on Facebook.

Adeyan Kayode added, “That guy, Alves, is boosting his career but it’s saddening we only see the negative aspects of the situation. Following his decision, he knew everything about Nigeria before his decision to come here. Bitter but true, Brazil isn’t better than Nigeria in some ways.”