South Africa's Lyle Foster returns as Burnley lose 2-0 to Everton

Everton continued their climb back up the Premier League table after their 10-point deduction with a well-earned 2-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday, their fifth win in six games.

The match marked the return of Burnley and Bafana Bafana striker Lyle Foster, who has been out of action since the beginning of November.  

This after he was put in care of specialists over mental health issues by his Burnley.  

The mental health problem forced the 23-year-old striker to also pull out of Bafana's crucial 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda in November.  

Though he was recently named by Bafana coach Hugo Broos in his 50-man African Cup of Nations (Afcon) preliminary squad, his boss at Burnley Vincent Kompany said Foster is not in a position to play at the tournament set for January in Ivory Coast.  

Against Everton, Foster was introduced on 46 minutes but was not able to help his side avoid a defeat.

Amadou Onana and Michael Keane scored for the Merseyside club — who were docked points last month for breaching profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) relating to losses — giving them 16 points and 16th place in the standings, seven points clear of the drop zone.

Burnley are one spot above bottom side Sheffield United on goal difference.

Onana headed home from the back post in the 19th minute, leaping high to send the ball past keeper James Trafford off a pinpoint cross from Dwight McNeill.

Keane doubled the Toffees' lead six minutes later after Trafford saved his first attempt and he pounced on the rebound with a shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner.