No ego, just goals: Bafana Bafana's Lyle Foster focused on team effort against Egypt

Lyle Foster has remained a ‘team player’ despite making a telling contribution for Bafana Bafana that could easily have gone to his head or seen him clapping back at his detractors.

The Burnley striker’s feet stayed firmly on the ground after he scored the winning goal in South Africa’s 2-1 victory over Angola in their opening Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group B match in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday.

“Ja, naturally for any player, scoring the winning goal makes you feel good,” Foster said on Thursday as he looked ahead to Friday's second match against Egypt in Agadir. “Obviously, for me, it is an honour and I am proud to be here, having missed the last one.”

Foster’s absence from the previous tournament in Ivory Coast, where Bafana finished third, saw him come under attack from sections of the South African football fraternity who failed to understand that he needed to address mental health issues. It did not help that the former Orlando Pirates development player has not been prolific in front of goal for the national team.

He came to the fore against Angola, though, with a superb strike that ensured coach Hugo Broos’ team bagged maximum points and put themselves in a strong position to progress to the knockout phase of the continental showpiece.

As he anticipates the clash with the Pharaohs, Foster has emphasised the importance of teamwork.

“I am going to try and impose myself as much as possible, but I understand the competition and that, first and foremost, we are a team, and I will try to help the team as much as possible. The three points are the most important. Yes, personally I am happy with the goal, and it is important to carry on from there and have similar moments and good performances.

"As individuals and as a team, we must give ourselves the best possible opportunity to do as well as we can in this tournament. We’ve been in camp as long as we have, and we have the confidence. We see that it is now possible.”

The clash against an Egypt side that also won their opening match 2-1 against Zimbabwe is a crucial encounter, with the victors set to book their place in the knockout phase. Foster says Bafana are ready to take on the likes of Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush.

“We are prepared and focused. We are hoping for a good result. I think it is an important game for both teams. We have both got three points,” he said, adding that Bafana’s long winning streak is not causing complacency.

“Sometimes it can be human nature for complacency to creep in, but it is up to us to drive our own standards and to live the expectations. It is up to us to keep that streak going, and it is a big motivation for us as well, something we are proud of.”

Tonight’s clash will be the fourth meeting between the two countries at the AFCON finals, with Egypt enjoying a 2-1 edge. They beat Bafana 1-0 in a group-stage match in 1996 before dethroning South Africa as continental kings two years later with a 2-0 victory in the final in Burkina Faso. Bafana gained some revenge in 2019 when a Thembinkosi Lorch goal late in the match helped them knock the Pharaohs out in the round of 16 in Cairo.

No doubt Foster would love to be the match-winner again tonight, as he was against Angola. But that does not mean he will be going it alone. Far from it, as the Burnley striker has a firm grasp of football’s nature as a team sport.