Vincent Kompany respond to Broos over Lyle Foster

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos’ comments on Lyle Foster’s availability have been addressed by Burnley FC coach Vincent Kompany.

Foster made himself unavailable for selection just a few weeks before the African Cup of Nations(Afcon) kicked off.

Broos, attempted to get Burnley striker, Lyle Foster, to play for the South African team in the Afcon tournament. However, Broos was told by Burnley coach, Kompany, that Foster was not ready.

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Despite the initial refusal, Broos selected Foster in the preliminary Bafana squad as he believed Foster might eventually be available.

Foster played 45 minutes for Burnley in mid-December having recovered from mental illness.

After that, the Bafana coach contacted Kompany to inquire about his readiness.

VINCENT KOMPANY RESPONDS TO HUGO BROOS FRSUTRATION WITH LYLE FOSTER

Kompany explained that although Foster played, he was still not ready to play in Afcon because there was a risk that he could suffer the same problem.

.Broos was also surprised to see Foster play again last weekend but reiterated that it was a medical decision. According to reports, the South African Football Association (Safa) is investigating the matter.

Safa president, Danny Jordaan, said that if Foster had been available, he would have been a good addition to the Bafana squad, but he doesn’t know the details of why he was unable to play for his country.

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This week, Kompany hit back at Broos.

“Physical fitness and mental fitness are two very different things,” he said as per FARPost.

“You can be physically fit, but you can also mentally be in a position where it’s not a possibility for you to go away to a tournament for a month if you’re not in the right headspace or you don’t have the capacity to deal with that.

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“We’ve been very open about it. You come out of the rehab clinic; you’re dealing with a problem that is beyond football. It’s life. We were just part of his rehabilitation plan. It’s his environment, he comes in through the doors, he’s with people of his age, friends as well, not just colleagues. He doesn’t have friends outside the club; he’s come from abroad. His social support system is the club.”

“People have a different way of looking at these things in various parts of the world. That’s the reality of it, and I respect that as well. I really respect that. But if your starting position is the care of the player, then you find the right answers. That’s the only thing we did,” Kompany said on the Foster situation.

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