Lyle Foster emerges as Bafana Bafana's AFCON spearhead ahead of Egypt test

Lyle Foster has emerged ready to lead Bafana Bafana against a brigade of Egyptian stars – most of whom are based abroad – in their Group B top-of-the-table clash at Stade d’Agadir on Friday afternoon (5pm kick-off), as he knows that if they do not take their chances, they will not score.

Foster has been Bafana’s leading talisman in the past few years. As such, he backed up that status by scoring Bafana’s winner in the 2–1 win over Angola in their continental showpiece opener at Stade de Marrakech on Monday night. Foster's goal took Bafana to the summit of Group B on three points, level with the second-placed Pharaohs, who beat Zimbabwe by the same scoreline in a later kick-off.

The 25-year-old will be proud of his contribution, given the fact that it also marked Bafana’s first win in an AFCON opener in 21 years and crowned coach Hugo Broos’ 50th game in charge of the team.

Foster’s goal was worthy of winning any match. He did well to control the ball and pick his spot just outside the edge of the box before hitting a thunderbolt curler that flew past an outstretched Hugo Marques into the top corner. Foster, who didn’t have the best start to the game but ended up walking away with the Player of the Match award, admitted that he had to keep knocking at the door in order to be rewarded.

“I think with the chance before that, I hesitated a little bit,” Foster said. “But obviously, with the second one, I think we did well to win the ball back. I just had the ball at my feet, and I wanted to score.

"I told myself that I wanted to put it there (in the top corner), so thank God, luck was on my side. The ball went in. I think we deserved to keep trying, and I know not every ball is going to go in, but at least one or two will go.”

Foster can’t stop now. Given the fact that he plies his trade with English Premier League (EPL) side Burnley, he’ll be expected to come out guns blazing against some of his league counterparts – Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Manchester City’s Marmoush. Salah and Marmoush were also on song for Egypt against the Warriors, scoring the team’s two goals. That’s why they’ll want to bring their form against Bafana.

Foster says they’ll be ready for whatever Egypt throws at them, as they’ve drawn plenty of positives from their win over Angola in Marrakech.

“We started really well,” Foster admitted. “But we allowed Angola to come back into the game, especially after our first goal. So at half-time, we needed to have a chat between ourselves and the coach. We just had to go out stronger in the second half. I think in these types of tournaments, and in matches like these, the first game is always important.

"I think we have a good start and have put a good foot forward now. So I think the three points were important from this game, and that’s what we wanted. We can only build on the momentum. We now have to focus on the game against Egypt on Friday.”

Foster’s captain, Ronwen Williams, also revealed what Broos said during his half-time talk, as the team returned with vigour and went on to win the match.

“He said he can’t recognise this team – that’s not us or the team he built in the past few years,” Williams said. “We are not used to sitting back and not creating chances. He encouraged us to come out in the second half.”

Broos had a couple of AFCON debutants against Angola, but the player who made the biggest contribution, besides Foster, was half-time substitute Tshepang Moremi.

“It’s amazing,” added Williams on new players rising to the occasion. “Like I said, playing in the AFCON tournament is not easy, but to see them playing well and fitting in nicely is amazing. I am glad and happy. I think Tshepang Moremi came on and changed the game for us with his speed behind the defence. So there’s a good foundation to build on going into the rest of the tournament.”