Lerumo Lions sign Brazilian winger Victor Santoro after Italy move

Lerumo Lions have signed Brazilian winger Victor Santoro on a two-year contract after the 20-year-old was identified while playing in Italy’s fifth tier.

The Motsepe Foundation Championship club’s move for Santoro was first reported by Soccer Laduma and confirmed to Siya by Lerumo Lions on Wednesday. Football agent Abbie Rasimphi has now explained how the North West side came to recruit the young player.

Santoro arrived in South Africa last week from Italy, where he had been playing in the Eccellenza League. Rasimphi said the winger’s move was not motivated by financial considerations, but by the opportunity to develop his career in South Africa.

“Firstly, he’s not here for money. Our leagues are well run and marketed across the globe, and that attracts players,” said Rasimphi of Fidel Revolution and Projects.

The agent said Santoro’s route to Lerumo Lions began through his business partner, Leandro Padovani Celin, who is based in Italy.

“What happened is that I have a business partner who’s based in Italy by the name Leandro Padovani Celin. The boy (Santoro) is from Brazil, but he was playing in Italy. So, Leandro introduced me to the boy and asked that we search for opportunities for him this side,” he said.

Rasimphi and his partners then began contacting clubs in search of a suitable opportunity for the winger.

“We saw huge potential in him, and we knew that he could get a team here. We then contacted different teams.

“Fortunately, Lerumo Lions showed a lot of interest, and we flew the boy down here. That’s what happened. The good thing is the boy was also very keen to come play hereto make a name for himself. He’s not scared of challenges, and that’s a wonderful thing at his age,” he stated.

The agent believes Santoro’s willingness to take on a new challenge, combined with the welcome he received at Lerumo Lions, has helped the player settle quickly.

“Also, he was warmly welcomed by Lerumo Lions. They love him, so he’s comfortable, and he’s promised to work hard, because these people have shown a lot of faith in him. He must repay their trust by demonstrating that signing him was not a mistake. I’m confident that he would help them achieve their goals. They are an ambitious team. Lerumo Lions is certainly a good project, and that’s why I’m happy for him to be there. They are well run and they remind me of University of Pretoria when Tebogo Monyai was still playing. I think people will start talking about him soon as the league starts. He’s well developed. I think he would also bring the supporters for Lerumo, because everyone would want to see him.”

Rasimphi added that his company and its partners are aiming to bring more players from the Americas to South African professional leagues.

“We are working very closely with my partners, and we want to bring more players from South and North America,” he concluded.

The Motsepe Foundation Championship 2026/27 season is scheduled to begin on Friday, 21 August.