Bafana’s message to Lyle Foster amid mental health revelations
Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has voiced the national team’s unwavering support for Lyle Foster, who has temporarily stepped away from football to prioritise his mental well-being.
This comes after the English Premier League outfit Burnley FC announced that the 23-year-old striker will be ruled out of action for an indefinite period, as the player is currently in the care of specialists.
Foster joined Burnley from Belgian club Westerlo in January 2023. Since he arrived at Vincent Kompany’s coached side, the Bafana star has been instrumental for the club, having scored three goals and contributed two assists this campaign.
Mental health problems are becoming a worrying factor, with many professional athletes coming out in public to talk about it.
BAFANA BAFANA SHOWS SUPPORT FOR LYLE FOSTER
Speaking on behalf of Bafana players, skipper Williams has come forward to show their support for Foster amid his mental health revelations.
“To Lyle Foster, from the the team, we obviously miss him. You know he’s in our thoughts and our prayers,” said Willams.
“We just hope that everything can go well for him so that he can return to do what he does best which is to play football.
“So, he got our love and support.”
RONWEN WILLIAMS REFLECTS ON WORLD CUP QUALIFIER MATCHES
The Mamelodi Sundowns shot-stopper also reflected on their upcoming two World Cup qualifiers matches against Benin and Rwanda.
South Africa will face Benin at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday, 18 November 2023.
Bafana will then jet off to Huye to take on Rwanda on Tuesday, 21 November 2023.
“Coming to the camp, I’m glad to be here again. We are looking forward to the games,” he added.
“Obviously, the start of the World Cup qualifiers campaign. You know, we got the valuable experience of playing over the last two years.
“The pain we have felt has carried us through the last year or so. I’m just glad to be part and looking forward to the camp.”
Williams continued: “There’s a good feeling in the camp because the results we got over a few months have been amazing.
“We want that to continue. There’s a lot of new faces and familiar faces so it’s our job as leadership to make them feel part of the team.”
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