Bartlett calls for specialised striker coaching ahead of World Cup

Bafana Bafana legend Shaun Bartlett has urged the national team to invest in specialised coaching for strikers ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup later this year.

His comments come in the wake of mounting criticism directed at Lyle Foster following a disappointing display in the international friendly match against Panama at Moses Mabhida Stadium last Friday.

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Bafana coach Hugo Broos did not hold back in his post-match assessment, even labelling Foster “lazy”. However, speaking to Thabiso Mosia on Radio 2000, Bartlett questioned whether enough is being done behind the scenes to support the forwards.

“The biggest challenge we have at this moment in time and we even saw it at the AFCON, is not being more clinical in front of goal,” he said.

“I was a bit disappointed with the coach mentioning that (lazy comments). If you look around the world, everyone is going for a more specialised approach in certain positions.

“We’re going to the World Cup but we only have a head coach, assistant coach and a goalkeeper coach but there aren’t other people who are specialising in giving Lyle proper training in order to score goals.

Bartlett sits second on Bafana’s all-time scoring chart with 29 goals, just two behind Benni McCarthy. He expressed surprise that their long-standing records remain unchallenged.

“I’m very surprised, I think it’s almost 20 years later. I had a conversation with (Mohau) Nkota a few weeks ago and I said to him that they need to start breaking these records,” he added.

“We can’t still be number one and number two. Hopefully, someone like Lyle and Oswin Appollis who has been in terrific form will get closer to those records.”

The 1996 AFCON winner went on to outline the value a dedicated striker’s coach could bring even for a player of Foster’s calibre who currently plies his trade in the Premier League in England.

“There are different attributes that are needed with his back to goal and making runs off defenders. You must teach him to obviously have that awareness and composure to finish those chances,” the former Charlton Athletic forward concluded.

“Most importantly, the variations and types of finish that you can apply. If you look at the chances he had, there were one or two where he could have chipped over the goalkeeper with the way the keeper came out.

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“He could have put it through the legs of the keeper and there are various things that you have to make the player aware of and what he needs to notice before he gets an opportunity.”