‘I’m immensely proud’: Burnely coach reacts as Foster, Tuanzebe, and Mejbri are relegated

Burnley FC manager Scott Parker has declared he is “immensely proud” of his players, including Lyle Foster, despite their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday night, officially condemning the club to the Championship.

The result at Turf Moor, sealed by an Erling Haaland strike, marks the end of the Premier League road for the Clarets’ African contingent. Bafana Bafana striker Lyle Foster, DR Congo defender Axel Tuanzebe, and Tunisian midfielder Hannibal Mejbri—all of whom featured at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco—now face an immediate return to the second tier with four games to spare.

Despite the heartbreak of the final whistle, Parker chose to focus on the grit shown by his stars against the defending champions.

PARKER’S PRIDE AMID THE PAIN

“I’m immensely proud of the team tonight,” Parker told the media in a sombre post-match press conference. “It was a formidable challenge, and going a goal down so early on could’ve easily derailed us, but we stuck to the task. We created chances, which we weren’t deadly enough to take, and at the other end, we defended well. We’ve left everything on the pitch tonight.”

However, the former England international was honest about the gap between effort and the harsh reality of the league table.

“The curtain has come down on us now. We’ve failed, and we’ve fallen short,” Parker admitted. “The team has given me everything this season—but at times we’ve lacked the quality required in this league. We’ve not managed to survive. We’ve faced a lot of adversity, but we’ve come up short. We need to learn from our mistakes as a football club.”

The defeat leaves Burnley 19th in the table with just 20 points from 34 matches. With a 13-point gap to 17th-place West Ham United and only four games remaining, their fate is mathematically sealed.

This marks a sobering statistic for the Lancashire club: it is their third relegation in as many top-flight seasons and their fifth Premier League exit overall. Only Norwich City, with six, have suffered more relegations in the modern era.

THE IMPACT ON THE AFRICAN TRIO, INCLUDING FOSTER

For Foster, Tuanzebe, and Mejbri, the relegation is a bitter pill to swallow after a campaign that promised much following their 2024/25 promotion.

Lyle Foster: The Bafana star, introduced in the 73rd minute on Wednesday, ends the season with three goals and two assists in 24 appearances.

Axel Tuanzebe & Hannibal Mejbri: The duo brought continental experience from their recent AFCON exploits, but even their presence couldn’t shore up a side that has gone winless at home since October.

As the club prepares for life back in the Championship, Foster must pivot quickly. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicking off in June, the striker will need to shake off the disappointment of this club campaign to lead the line for Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana on the world stage.