| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tylon Christopher Smith | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (2005-05-09) 9 May 2005 | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kriefgat, Western Cape, South Africa | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||
| Position | Central defender | |||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||
Current team | Queens Park Rangers | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| –2024 | Stellenbosch | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Stellenbosch | |||||||||||||
| 2025– | Queens Park Rangers | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | South Africa U20 | 11 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 2025– | South Africa | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Tylon Christopher Smith (born 9 May 2005) is a South African soccer player who plays as a central defender for EFL Championship side Queens Park Rangers and the South African national team.
Smith was voted player of the tournament at the 2025 U-20 Arica Cup of Nations.[1]
Club career
Stellenbosch
Smith played for Stellenbosch in the PSL Reserve League and was part of the team that won the league in the 2023/24 season.[2] He was also part of the team that won the Next Gen Cup following a 2–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur U/21.[3]
In October 2024 he signed his first professional contract with the side.[4]
Queens Park Rangers
In July 2025 he signed with EFL Championship side Queens Park Rangers.[5]
International career
Smith competed with the South Africa U-20 team at the 2024 COSAFA U-20 Cup when the side won their ninth title and qualified for the 2025 U-20 Arica Cup of Nations. He helped the side win their maiden U-20 Africa Cup of Nations and qualify for the 2025 U-20 FIFA World Cup in 2025.[6] He was voted the 2025 U-20 Arica Cup of Nations player of the tournament.[1] He was nominated for the CAF Young Player of the Year at the 2025 awards.[7]
Smith was called up for the South Africa senior side by coach Hugo Broos for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.[8]
Honours
South Africa U-20
Stellenbosch
- PSL Reserve League: 2023/24, Runners-Up: 2024/25
- Next Gen Cup: 2024
Individual
- 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations: Player of the Tournament
- 2024/25 PSL Reserve League: Player of the Season
External links
- Tylon Smith at National-Football-Teams.com
References
- ^ a b "Tylon Smith named Best Player of TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON 2025". Tylon Smith named Best Player of TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ "Stellenbosch Stage Dramatic Comeback To Clinch Diski Challenge Title - Sportswire". 2024-05-11. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ Dylan (2024-08-05). "Stellenbosch FC crowned Premier League Next Generation Cup champions". SportsClub. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ Dylan (2024-10-31). "Tylon Smith signs professional contract with Stellies". SportsClub. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ Cruywagen, Dennis (2025-07-20). "Stellies soccer star Tylon Smith nets deal with Queens Park Rangers". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ "Amajita defeat Morocco in Egypt to claim historic first U20 AFCON title | soccer". SABC. 2025-05-18. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ "Tylon Smith Edges Mbokazi For CAF Award". Soccer Laduma. 2025-11-17. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ^ "Bafana Bafana's defender Tylon Smith sees his AFCON squad inclusion as an opportunity to grow, learn, and elevate his game | Goal.com South Africa". www.goal.com. 2025-12-11. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
