Carnell Makes History In MLS
South African coach Bradley Carnell has set a new record in charge of Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Philadelphia Union as his team continued their impressive start to the 2025 campaign in the United States.
The former Bafana international, who was appointed in January 2025, guided his side to a 2-0 victory away to New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night to make it three wins on the trot, which saw them maintain their position at the top of the standings with 9 points.
During that period, the Eastern Conference club that was founded in 2008 scored 10 goals while limiting their opponents to just three goals. The club is in search of its first-ever league title after a runners-up finish in 2022.
Meanwhile, former Stellenbosch FC defender Olwethu Makhanya, who joined the club on a two-and-a-half-year contract with an option to extend to 2027, started all league matches since his compatriot took over.
With three consecutive victories at the start of the season, Carnell became the first coach in Philadelphia Union’s history to achieve such a feat and will be keen to extend the record when they host Nashville SC on Sunday, 16 March 2025.
On the other hand, in England, Bafana Bafana striker Lyle Foster got on the scoresheet and ended his goal drought in Burnley’s emphatic 4-0 win over Luton Town in the English Championship at Turf Moor Stadium on the same night.
The Orlando Pirates academy product had last scored in January this year in an FA Cup tie against Reading. Overall, he has scored two goals and provided four assists in England’s second tier this season following a lengthy knee injury layoff on national duty that saw him miss 13 games for the Clarets.
Foster is regaining form at the right time as he was named in Hugo Broos’ preliminary squad with the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Lesotho on home soil before jetting off to take on Benin on the horizon.
The 24-year-old center-forward was on target the last time he was in the national team, finding the back of the net in the 5-0 thumping of Congo Brazzaville in the 2025 AFCON Qualifiers back in October 2024, which is where he suffered a bad injury.
