Lyle Foster #9

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The man South Africa relies on for goals, a real focal point of the attack. During Bafana Bafana’s ill-fated 2025 Afcon campaign, where the team exited in the round of 16, Foster played four times, scoring twice and assisting twice – showing what the national side had missed in 2023 when he missed seven weeks of football due to mental health issues. He spoke last year about dealing with anxiety and depression, thanking his club, Burnley, for their support as he recovered: “All the staff that were there at the time and the people in and around the club, my family, the supporters, they really made me feel loved … It’s very important to have people around you who you can be honest with and I was grateful I could be honest with them. I’m grateful that the club stood behind me and that I was able to have that little break and come back to football.” He will be key to South Africa’s attacking set-up this summer. The 25-year-old is not the only footballer in his family. His cousin Luther Singh, who plays for Cypriot club AEL Limassol, has also played for Bafana Bafana in the past.

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