Latest news with #Joburg-born
The South African
23-04-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Ex-Orlando Pirates star could make R280 million move, if...
Former Orlando Pirates star Lyle Foster will be back in the English Premier League next season. Could he leave Burnley, though? Benni McCarthy was formerly the most expensive South African footballer ever when Celta Vigo paid Ajax €6m (R113 million) for his services. After Benni, Joburg-born playmaker Steven Pienaar was the second-most expensive. In 2011, he moved from Everton to Tottenham and fetched a fee of €3.6m (R67.6 million). The guaranteed fee that Burnley paid to Westerlo for Lyle Foster's services shattered the record held by Benni since 1999. The Clarets paid €7m upfront, with a further €4m of add-ons triggered because of their promotion to the EPL. Foster's move amounted to something approaching a staggering R225 million. One of the existing cash-rich EPL sides might be keen to take a punt on Foster's fighting qualities, especially at a price around €13 million (R280 million). Click for the journey The Lancashire club paid a fee rising to €11m to sign Foster, and there's no reason why a host of other Premier League clubs wouldn't jump at the chance of signing the hard-working South African for around double that at least. Foster scored five goals and provided three assists in 24 top-flight appearances in 2023-2024; 22 were starts. It's no exaggeration to say he was arguably their best player, and to produce those numbers in a side struggling at the basement is a superb achievement. Burnley have won promotion to the promised land of the Premier League after guaranteeing a top-two finish in the 2024-2025 Championship table with two games to spare. Lyle Foster made 27 appearances under new boss Scott Parker with two goals and five assists. This was the ultimate response to relegation heartbreak in 2023-2024 when they finished 19th with 24 points. He'll be eager to build on his numbers from their ill-fated campaign last time out. The eventual winners of this season's Caf Champions League will take home $4 million (R75 million). That number has grown from $2.5 million in 2022. Orlando Pirates must negotiate a tough second-leg semi-final clash in Egypt against Pyramids after a hard-fought 0-0 draw in the first leg. If they advance to the final, either Mamelodi Sundowns or defending champions Al Ahly await them. Click for the story Let us know by leaving a comment below or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Also, subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Lyle Foster is back in the English Premier League with Burnley
Former Orlando Pirates star Lyle Foster is back in the English Premier League with Burnley. This can only be good for Bafana Bafana. Burnley have won promotion to the promised land of the Premier League after guaranteeing a top-two finish in 2024-2025 Championship table with two games to spare. Lyle Foster made 27 appearances undee new boss Scott Parker with two goals and five assists. This was the ultimate response to relegation heartbreak in 2023-2024 when they finished 19th with 24 points. Benni McCarthy was formerly the most expensive South African footballer ever when Celta Vigo paid Ajax €6m (R113 million) for his services. After Benni, Joburg-born playmaker Steven Pienaar was the second-most expensive. In 2011, he moved from Everton to Tottenham and fetched a fee of €3.6m (R67.6 million). The guaranteed fee that Burnley paid to Westerlo for Lyle Foster's services shattered the record held by Benni since 1999. The Clarets paid €7m upfront, with a further €4m of add-ons triggered because of their promotion to the EPL. Foster's move amounted to something approaching a staggering R225 million. Lyle Foster scored five goals and provided three assists in 24 top-flight appearances in 2023-2024; 22 were starts. It's no exaggeration to say he was arguably their best player, and to produce those numbers in a side struggling at the basement is a superb achievement. He'll be eager to build on those numbers in 2025-2026. Let us know by leaving a comment below or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Also, subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
