Burnley boss Kompany tells South Africa to forget about Foster for AFCON

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany ruled out striker Lyle Foster from the African Cup of Nations.

The South Africa striker was named in his nation's 50-man squad for AFCON.

However, the 23-year-old will not be able to take part, as he is taking a break from football for his mental health.

Unfortunately, he is not in a position where he can go with the national team. He just can't," said Kompany to reporters.

Going away for a long time in a very different environment is not something he can do at the moment.

His love for his country has no limits but that would be going against the advice of every expert. It's difficult.

I am a coach of African heritage and I know AFCON is very important and deserves the same respect as the Euros.

But the human being, his condition specifically, he is not at a stage where he can do any of that.

Hopefully in the future, he can do a lot more for everybody on the big stage. But it has to be step-by-step."