Pitso Mosimane has explained Lyle Foster’s omission from his first Bafana Bafana squad since returning as head coach, pointing to the striker’s lack of regular game time.
Bafana will begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Guinea at Orlando Stadium on September 26, before facing Eritrea in Egypt on September 30.
They will then remain in Egypt for a friendly against the hosts on October 4, giving Mosimane three matches to assess his squad and begin shaping his team.
One notable omission from the 30-man squad is Foster, who recently moved from Burnley to Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer on loan until June 2027.
Mosimane revealed that he spoke to Foster personally before deciding against selecting him for the upcoming fixtures.
“I spoke to him personally; he hasn’t been playing, he’s not on the team sheet and hasn’t played any friendly games, just a few minutes here and there, and he has moved (to a new team as well). The last time we saw him play was in Mexico.”
Foster’s move to Houston allows the striker to regain regular playing time after struggling for consistent minutes at Burnley.
For Mosimane, however, the priority is having players who are actively playing and can contribute immediately during the international window.
The Bafana coach has also introduced several new faces to the squad, with Puso Dithejane and Shandre Campbell among the youngsters earning their first call-ups under the returning coach.
Mosimane is particularly interested in seeing how the younger players respond to the opportunity of joining a squad that includes a sizeable number of players who represented South Africa at the 2026 World Cup.
“It’s very exciting for me to see what the reaction of the young ones is going to be, what do they see when they look at this team, do they see the World Cup and now they have a chance.”
Dithejane has been rewarded for his performances with Chicago Fire, while Campbell has continued his development in Belgium with KV Kortrijk.
Their inclusion reflects Mosimane’s desire to introduce younger players while maintaining a core of established Bafana internationals.
The upcoming fixtures will provide the youngsters with an early opportunity to make an impression, while Foster will now look to use his move to MLS to rebuild his form and force his way back into Mosimane’s plans.
