Bafana Bafana’s defender Tylon Smith sees his AFCON squad inclusion as an opportunity to grow, learn, and elevate his game

With so many expectations surrounding who would make the squad travelling to Morocco, and with numerous players in the Premier Soccer League raising their hands for selection, the former Stellenbosch youngster was among the names considered fitting to represent the country.

Tylon Smith, who is currently plying his trade abroad with Queens Park Rangers in the EFL Championship, made history as the first Cape Winelands Academy player to secure a direct transfer to Europe. 

Smith is no stranger to flying the Mzansi flag high, having been part of the side that won the 2024 COSAFA U-20 Championship and the 2025 CAF U-20 AFCON, where he went on to be named Player of the Tournament. 

He was also nominated for the CAF Young Player of the Year award. His impressive performances continued when he helped Amajita reach the knockout stages of the World Cup in Chile not too long ago.

The 20-year-old, whose hard work earned him such an important reward, told the media what this opportunity means to him, explaining that he intends to use it as a chance to grow and gain valuable experience as a player.

“I’m very calm; I know I’m still young, and I know my time will come. I just have to learn from the players that are more experienced and playing in my position, and take that and it will help me to improve as a player,” Smith told the media during the press conference as per the Sowetan.

“I just want to thank the coach [Hugo Broos] for giving me this opportunity to be part of the team. I went to my Facebook on my phone and watched live television after training and when he announced the team and when he mentioned my name, I was grateful as a 20-year-old.

Smith reflected on the important moment when the Bafana Bafana coach mentioned his name among the trusted players selected to take on this challenge. While clarifying that he has found the group that will usher him into this journey.

“So, I was excited for the call-up. The players have welcomed me well. I’m close with Oswin [Appollis] because we both speak Afrikaans and Ronwen [Williams] also,” Smith added.

The Western Cape-born central defender also shared how he is settling in with the senior team and explained what he hopes to take away from this valuable experience.

“I’m 20 years old, and I know it was a massive move for me from Stellenbosch to QPR, and I just said to myself that I need to stay calm and do what is expected of me to do,” he said.

“And coming here, I had to do what I’m expected to do and learn from the players who are more experienced to use that and help me grow as a player, and I’m looking forward to being part of the national team in this tournament," he concluded.

Smith will look to use this opportunity to establish his name and improve his game, returning to his football club with greater experience and hoping to earn more playing time, as he currently has only one appearance for Queens Park Rangers.

An even more important objective will come from his performances at the Africa Cup of Nations, where he aims to use the next few months to convince the Belgian coach that he would be a valuable addition to the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.

The South African team will also face pressure to start their campaign on a positive note, beginning with their first match against Angola.