Livingston announce signing of South African youngster - but he'll have to wait a while before making his Lions debut

Livingston have announced the signing of South African attacker Aphelele Teto - but it will be a while before he kits up for the Lions.

The 20-year-old has signed a four-year deal from TS Galaxy in his homeland, but he hasn't been able to get a work permit which likely means a spell heading out on loan for the remainder of 2023 at least.

The diminutive South African first caught the eye of Livi boss David Martindale when TS Galaxy and the Lions were based at the same training facility in Turkey last year, with an agreement then reached between the two clubs. Paperwork issues, however, means his immediate future will have to lie elsewhere.

Speaking to the club's official website, Martindale said: "I’m writing this statement with a mixture of emotions – delighted that we have secured the signing of Aphelele Teto, but disappointed we never got the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) for the player to receive his work permit.

“We will have another opportunity in January to re-apply for the player to receive his GBE which in turn would allow us to proceed to get his work permit.

“He is a fantastic young talent who has been in training and been part of the group for a number of weeks now. He really is a special talent that is so different from any other 20-year-old I have coached or seen previously in Scotland."

He added: "As a club, there are a few avenues we can explore such as loaning the player back to his previous club TS Galaxy FC or another top tier side in South Africa, or indeed another African country where Teto will be eligible to play.

“Teto has signed a 4-year-contract which shows you the commitment the club has made to the player and how highly we regard him.

“For now though, I’m delighted to secure his signing and