Lyle Foster’s face changes when he talks about the huge sacrifices his parents made so he could chase his football dreams.
As Bafana Bafana prepared to take on tricky Democratic Republic of Congo in their friendly at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday (5pm), the 23-year-old Burnley striker spoke about how his father quit his job to support his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
While his father drove him to training and matches, his mother was the only one working at home as they came up with a plan to ensure the young player had all the support he needed to succeed.
“My father quit his job to make sure that I chase this dream,” Foster said during the prematch press conference on Monday at Orlando Stadium.
“He has done it since I was young and together with my mother they sacrificed a lot. My mother still had to work while my dad was driving me and it was the perfect relationship.
“They are still my biggest support structure. Whenever I feel things are not going my way they are the first people I contact.
“My parents are the reason I am here and I am eternally grateful for everything they have done for me.
“I am only 23 now and there is still a long way to go, I feel I can still keep on achieving and fighting for more dreams.”
Foster is living that professional footballer’s dream. Burnley’s promotion as League Championship winners in 2022-23 sees him competing at the highest level in the English Premier League, where he earns good money.
He refused to divulge what that has done to change the lives of his family.
“They are the ones who have changed my life, they are the ones who sacrificed for me,” he said. “They are the ones who pushed me into football and made sure I was always at training and playing games.
“I don’t think it is fair to say I have changed their lives — they changed mine.”
Orlando Pirates youth product Foster grew up in Noordgesig, Soweto, and used to watch Bucs’ games at Orlando Stadium with his family, who were staunch supporters of the club.
Playing for Bafana at Pirates’ famous venue — where he also cut his teeth in pro football for the famous Soweto club — is special for him.
“It is a stadium that is tattooed on my body. I am from Noordgesig, which is about 2km from Orlando Stadium.
“We used to walk here to watch Pirates play. My father and uncles are Pirates supporters and to be able to play here is a great honour for me.”
Foster displayed his humility giving his parents the credit for the effect they have had on his career. He could have fooled an uninformed observer attending the press conference as he showed no frills, no ego and no prima-donna tendencies.
He also showed his humble side helping the Bafana back room staff with assembling “Bafana Bafana” banners. Asked about it, he said he saw nothing out of the ordinary in offering a helping hand.
“I always had good people in my life — my parents, my sisters, the coaches I grew up with [like Bucs’ head of development Augusto Palacios] and even the coaches I work with now,” he said.
“I have amplified the importance of staying grounded because anything can happen in football. God forbid, tomorrow I can break a leg.
“There is no reason for the humbleness but situations and experiences I have seen over my life forced me to be there.
“I would not have it any other way, it is a blessing to be here and helping with the banners is nothing big.”
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