Augusto Palacios urges more support for Lyle Foster after match-winning display for Bafana Bafana
Forward Lyle Foster celebrates after scoring for Bafana Bafana.
Image: BackpagePix
Former Orlando Pirates coach Augusto Palacios has come to Bafana Bafana striker Lyle Foster’s defence following criticism from some fans over his absence from the previous Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Foster scored the winning goal on Monday as Hugo Broos’ men kicked off their 2025 Afcon campaign with a 2-1 win over Angola in Marrakech, a performance that earned him the man-of-the-match award.
Despite that display, the forward has continued to face criticism for missing the last Afcon tournament in Ivory Coast at the beginning of 2024, where Bafana Bafana returned home with a bronze medal. Towards the end of 2023, Burnley’s Foster took a break from football to address a mental health issue.
That break unfortunately coincided with Afcon, which meant he was not part of Broos’ squad for the tournament.
On the back of Monday’s scoring performance, Palacios – who oversaw Foster’s development at the Augusto Palacios Apprentice Academy – urged South Africans to support players regardless of form.
“Sometimes people criticise and put the players’ morale down. It is happening with Lyle Foster,” Palacios told KickOff. “When everyone played for the country [on Monday], he contributed to the win.
“He never complained or answered negatively. It’s important to support every player, scoring or not scoring, performing or not performing. Players are not doing things on purpose – everyone tries their best. It’s very important to motivate everyone because the country is important.”
Palacios also addressed the criticism surrounding Foster’s absence from the previous Afcon.
“The problem was that when he was mentally unwell, the club gave him full support to recover. He never refused to play for his country,” he said. “There are different opinions, which I respect, but some comments affect both him and his family.
“He is strong and continues his football. The support from his teammates, the technical team and SAFA has always been great.”
IOL Sport