Widely recognised as one of the most talented South African footballers of his generation as he came up the ranks, Lyle Foster has become the latest scapegoat for a longstanding national team goalscoring issue.
It is easy to forget that the Burnley frontman is only 25. His life in the public eye began with his Orlando Pirates debut in 2017, and he has lasted at a high level far longer than many in South African football.
That is a credit to former Bafana Bafana boss Augusto Palacios - the coach broadly responsible for his development - and to Foster's perseverance through dips in form and mental health issues. However, where Foster's critics are correct is that the journey has seen some tremendous dips in form in between the highs.
How was Lyle Foster spotted?
Palacios was the head coach who completed Orlando Pirates' 2011-12 domestic treble-winning season, having been hired following the March 2012 suspension of Julio Leal and sensationally turned around a league campaign that appeared to be falling into disarray.
Following Palacios' exit, the Buccaneers suffered a 14-year title drought which only ended when Abdeslam Ouaddou delivered the 2025-26 title - also as part of a domestic treble.
Palacios was re-hired as caretaker coach during the 2016-17 season with less success than his previous stint. However, his true passion was always youth development, and he was the man responsible for that department at Orlando Pirates when a quiet 12-year-old boy who did most of his talking with his feet caught his eye.
Palacios took Foster under his wing at Orlando Pirates and his own Augusto Palacios Apprentice Academy in Johannesburg.
"He had very good control of the ball, liked to be in the box and had very good ability on the turn. We saw the potential of the boy to remain," Palacios told ESPN in 2023.
The Peruvian coach recalled the younger Foster as "very emotional" but credited his "supportive and very strict" family for giving him structure at home.
"I remember at one stage, when he was 14, one day he missed a lot of chances in the league. I told him: 'You can miss, but you cannot miss [so many]. What happened with you?'" Palacios recalled.
"His parents came back to me and said he didn't want to come back. I said: 'No, bring him! Let me talk to him!' We had a long chat [and the issues were resolved]."
This back-and-forth was, in many ways, symbolic of the highs and lows that would come in Foster's career.
Where did Lyle Foster play before Burnley?
Foster made his debut at Orlando Pirates under Milutin 'Micho' Sredojević in September 2017, and midway through the 2018-19 season, he sealed a dream move to AS Monaco.
Foster's stock could hardly have been higher at that point. He played alongside Cesc Fábregas and it could be argued he was essentially viewed as a potential replacement for Kylian Mbappé, who had departed for Paris Saint-Germain.
The rising South African star was nominated for the 2020 Golden Boy award, which Tuttosport eventually presented to Erling Haaland.
However, he had been loaned out to Cercle Brugge in 2019-20 and was sold to Vitória Guimarães early in the following campaign. Another loan stint in Belgium - this time with KVC Westerlo - followed in 2021-22 and that move was made permanent at the end of the season.
By the account of Palacios at the time, Foster had been crying out for a coach who truly understood him. The striker impressed enough at Westerlo to seal a move to Burnley midway through the 2022-23 season.
Why does Foster receive criticism from Bafana fans?
The 2023-24 campaign was Foster's breakout season. After Burnley had won promotion to the Premier League in 2023, the striker was now delivering on his promise at the top level under Vincent Kompany.
However, mental health issues midway through the 2023-24 season saw Foster miss the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), held belatedly in early 2024 in Ivory Coast, where South Africa finished third in his absence.
It could be argued that his problems with Bafana Bafana fans either began or intensified there. Some supporters may question his commitment to the team, while others may point out that their success without him and struggles since he returned show that his style of play is incompatible with the team.
Foster delivered for them at AFCON 2025 in Morocco with two goals and two assists in four games. However, his poor performance in the 2-1 last 16 loss against Cameroon increased fan frustration with him.
Foster's form at club level was faltering too. Burnley had been relegated at the end of 2023-24, promoted in 2024-25, but were on course for relegation again, which was confirmed by the end of the 2025-26 season.
Mike Jackson - who took over as interim Burnley head coach after replacing Scott Parker - has afforded an out-of-form Foster limited minutes on the field.
If Foster's relationship with Bafana Bafana fans is broken currently, then the FIFA World Cup offers him the perfect opportunity to once again rise from the ashes.
South Africa will kick off the World Cup against Mexico in Mexico City on June 11 before subsequent clashes with Czechia in Atlanta (June 18) and South Korea (June 24 in Guadalupe, with kick-off set for 3AM the following morning for those watching on South African Standard Time).