Bafana Bafana legend Mark Williams has defended striker Lyle Foster ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), insisting that the criticism the striker has been receiving was unwarranted. The 25-year-old Foster, who’s on the books of English Premier League outfit Burnley, is odds-on to spearhead Bafana’s attack at Afcon, starting from December 22 to January 18 2026, in Morocco. Bafana touched down in their Marrakesh base on Thursday, linking up with Foster, Siphephelo Sithole and Shandre Campbell, who all flew straight to Morocco from Europe.
I don’t think Lyle is playing in the EPL for nothing. He is physical, has pace, and can hold the ball very well, so he is our ideal target man. Foster, whose eight goals in the Bafana shirt make him the joint top scorer under incumbent coach Hugo Broos alongside Themba Zwane and Teboho Mokoena, has been under fire when playing for the national team in recent months, with many not convinced by his conversion rate.
Foster has scored two goals from 13 Premier League outings this season. Even so, Williams, a hero of what remains Bafana’s only Afcon victory to date, in 1996, has thrown his weight behind Foster. He must be good.
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I always say that people will criticise you because they want to see their players play in the national team… That’s what I feel about Lyle’s criticism,” Williams told SowetanLive. “He is physical; he can run because he has pace, and he can hold the ball very well, so he is our ideal target man.
You can’t criticise a player for missing one chance. How many chances does he get? Maybe they are not creating enough chances for him.” Bafana are in Group B with Angola, Egypt and Zimbabwe, getting their Afcon campaign underway by facing Angola in Marrakesh on December 22, at 7pm (SA time).
Broos has warned that Angola weren’t going to be pushovers. “It’s a good team, you can be sure. There are some good players; they are very technical,” the Bafana coach said of their Group B opener opponents, Palancas Negras.
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