South Africa’s Tylon Smith was named Best Player of the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025, following his pivotal role in guiding the Amajita to their first-ever continental title.
The 19-year-old midfielder delivered consistently influential performances throughout the tournament and was instrumental in South Africa’s 1-0 victory over Morocco in Sunday’s final at the Cairo International Stadium.
Smith, known for his composure, creativity, and ability to dictate the tempo, scored the crucial semi-final winner against Nigeria and proved vital in linking midfield and attack across the campaign.
South Africa capped off a historic tournament by sweeping key individual awards. Goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe was named Best Goalkeeper after keeping four clean sheets and recording the highest number of saves (24) during the tournament.
Lowe’s composure and reflexes were on full display in the final, where he denied Morocco on several occasions to preserve South Africa’s slim lead.
While South Africa lifted the trophy and the top two individual honours, Sierra Leone’s Momoh Kamara was named the tournament’s Top Scorer.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder found the net four times — including a stunning hat-trick against hosts Egypt — and was one of the breakout stars of the competition.
Morocco, despite finishing runners-up, were honoured with the Fair Play Award for their discipline and sportsmanship throughout the tournament.
Complete List of Award Winners – U-20 AFCON Egypt 2025:
- Best Player: Tylon Smith (South Africa)
- Top Scorer: Momoh Kamara (Sierra Leone) – 4 goals
- Best Goalkeeper: Fletcher Lowe (South Africa)
- Fair Play Award: Morocco
CAF U-20 AFCON 2025 Best XI
South Africa’s golden generation of rising stars were handsomely rewarded for their triumph at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025, as the CAF Technical Study Group (TSG) announced the official Best XI of the tournament.
Unsurprisingly, newly crowned champions South Africa led the way with four players selected in the tournament’s best team, including standout goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe and playmaker Tylon Smith, who was also named the Best Player of the tournament.
Lowe, who made the most saves (24) during the competition, was instrumental in keeping three clean sheets, including one in the final against Morocco.
His safe hands and calm distribution laid the foundation for South Africa’s historic first U-20 AFCON title.
Midfielder Tylon Smith, who was the playmaker of his team, capped off a stellar campaign by scoring the winning goal in the semi-final against Nigeria.
His ability to dictate play and rally his team in pressure moments earned him the Best Player award and a key role in the tournament’s Best XI.
Morocco, runners-up in the final, had four players included in the XI – Othmane Maamma, Hossam Essadak, Hamza Koutoune and Faycal Zahouani – a reflection of their strong, possession-based approach throughout the competition.
Sierra Leone’s Momoh Kamara, who finished as the tournament’s top scorer with four goals, was also included, while Egypt’s Mohamed Goweily, Nigeria’s Daniel Bameyi, and South Africa’s Neo Rapoo and Lazola Maku completed the elite lineup.
Coach of the tournament honours went to South Africa’s Raymond Mdaka, whose tactical discipline and faith in youth delivered a maiden continental crown for the Amajita.
🏆 Recap I:
- Best XI of the Tournament (1-4-2-3-1):
- Fletcher Lowe (South Africa)
- Neo Rapoo (South Africa)
- Mohamed Goweily (Egypt)
- Othmane Maamma (Morocco)
- Daniel Bameyi (Nigeria)
- Lazola Maku (South Africa)
- Hossam Essadak (Morocco)
- Faycal Zahouani (Morocco)
- Hamza Koutoune (Morocco)
- Momoh Kamara (Sierra Leone)
- Tylon Smith (South Africa)
Recap II:
- Best Player: Tylon Smith (South Africa)
- Top Scorer: Momoh Kamara (Sierra Leone) – 4 goals
- Best Goalkeeper: Fletcher Lowe (South Africa)
- Best Coach: Raymond Mdaka (South Africa)
- Fair Play Award: Morocco
SOURCE: CAF ONLINE
