Lyle Foster

South Africa's record transfer and Premier League striker, Lyle Foster became the most expensive South African footballer when joining Burnley for €7–10 million in January 2023, and is Bafana Bafana's most potent attacking weapon heading into the 2026 World Cup.

Foster came through Orlando Pirates' academy in South Africa before earning recognition as one of The Guardian's top 60 most promising young players in the world. He progressed through Europe with spells at Monaco, Cercle Brugge (Belgium), Vitória de Guimarães (Portugal), and KVC Westerlo, winning the Belgian First Division B title with Westerlo in 2021–22 and earning a record transfer to Burnley in January 2023.

At Burnley he won the EFL Championship in 2022–23, securing promotion to the Premier League where he has been a regular starter wearing the number 9 shirt. Internationally, Foster has scored 10 goals in 31 caps for South Africa, representing Bafana Bafana at the 2025 AFCON and leading their attack into the 2026 World Cup.