Broos gives timeline for Lyle Foster’s possible return to Bafana

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has given a timeline on the possible return of Burnley FC striker Lyle Foster to the national team set-up.

Broos’ charges are currently in camp for the FIFA Series international friendlies in Algeria. They will face Andorra on Thursday, March 21, before taking on the hosts, Algeria, five days later.

Foster has been absent from the Bafana Bafana squad since October 2023 due to mental health-related issues. The Orlando Pirates youth product missed the 2023 AFCON, which was held in Ivory Coast, where South Africa claimed the bronze medal.

The 23-year-old was surprisingly playing in the English Premier League [EPL] for Burnley despite his request to undergo specialised treatment for mental illness.

While Foster’s participation at club level sparked controversy, Broos has revealed plans to bring the highly-rated forward back to the Bafana team.

HUGO BROOS HOPING TO HAVE FOSTER BACK IN BAFANA SQUAD BY JUNE

The Belgian mentor says he’ll meet Foster alongside his coach, Vincent Kompany, in April to discuss a way forward.

“First of all, with Foster, I saw that he was playing for 10 minutes on Saturday, so that means his injury problems are over,” Broos said.

“I will try to have contact in the next week with [Vincent] Kompany when I’m in Belgium I can go and see a game of Burnley, talk to Foster and Kompany on what we can expect in the future from him. We are certainly looking for him [to return] for the games in June.”

In Foster’s absence, Pirates’ duo Evidence Makgopa and Zakhele Lepasa have been leading the attacking line for Bafana.

However, Makgopa is out of the Bafana squad for the upcoming friendlies due to an injury, while Lepasa has been left out after struggling for game time at club level.

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