Bafana Bafana striker Lyle Foster during the September 2023 FIFA international break speaking to South African media. (Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images)
Hugo Broos and SAFA lacked empathy towards Lyle Foster, who announced that he suffered from mental illness and opted not to represent Bafana Bafana at Afcon. The striker is now expected to return to the national fold for World Cup qualifiers, but not without echoing negative hate from fans. It is a situation that could have been avoided had SAFA and Broos dealt with the it in a professional and delicate manner, writes Tashreeq Vardien.
When English outfit Burnley announced that Bafana Bafana striker Lyle Foster would take a break from football due to mental health issues, he had already missed two matches, with many keen outsiders questioning his whereabouts.
Due to the delicate situation, the club remained mum on the matter and brainstormed the best possible way to move forward, which could aid and protect Foster and perhaps open a narrative that not many have dared touch in football, let alone professional sports.
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