Meet the Class of 2025’s Tiago Kahn
Tiago Kahn, an outstanding centre-back from Curro Wilgeheuwel and the Panorama Football Club,recently won the SuperSport Schools Defender of the Year Award. Just last weekend, he was included in the SuperSport Schools Class of 2025.
SuperSport Schools Plus caught up with the 17-year-old to reflect on an extraordinary year.
Kahn said he was grateful for his recognition as the Defender of the Year, and for being included in the SuperSport Schools Class of 2025. He also extended his thanks to SuperSport Schools for providing opportunities for other young student athletes, like himself, to showcase their talents.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to my year, to be honest, and to know my efforts are also being recognised, it means the world to me,” Kahn said.
He said the 2025 season had been one of substantial development for him, and his reliability in defence had improved. By playing for both Panorama FC and Curro Wilgeheuwel, he was able to contribute effectively on both ends of the field, excelling in both scoring and defending.
Kahn played a key role in Panorama’s campaign in the 2025 Engen Knockout Challenge. In July, at the Engen Gauteng Knockout, Panorama scored an unexpected victory over Kaizer Chiefs, beating them 2-1 in the final, to be crowned the champions of the Gauteng province.
Kahn also scored in the final to secure Panorama’s victory over the Phefeni Glamour Boys. He was honoured as the Engen Gauteng Knockout Challenge’s Player and Defender of the Tournament.
That title win qualified Panorama for the Engen Champs of Champs, where they faced other provincial champions, including Cape Town City, Chippa United, and Junior Birds, among others. The title went to Cape Town City after they defeated the Chilli Boys 3-0 in the final, but Panorama claimed the bronze medals by defeating Junior Birds 5-0.
“My performances in the Gauteng Engen Knockout stood out, earning me both the Player and the Defender of the Tournament, alongside winning the tournament title. That was something special for me,” Kahn said.
Kahn’s growth also delivered a sizeable impact for Curro Wilgeheuwel, despite the considerable demands he faced by also competing in the Gauteng Development League (GDL) for Panorama.
In September, he helped Curro Wilgeheuwel put together a strong showing at the St Andrew’s College Football Cup, in Makhanda. The Roodepoort school caught the headlines with a 15-0 rout of Kingswood College. They fell just short of the title, losing out to Bishops Diocesan College in a penalty shootout.
Reflecting on the St Andrew’s tournament, Kahn expressed disappointment over that loss in the final. But being selected for the Best XI at the St Andrew’s College Football Cup stood out as one of his proudest moments of the year.
He was also named Curro Wilgeheuwel’s Footballer of the Year after a season that showcased his dedication, reliability, and leadership, both on and off the field.
Curro Wilgeheuwel’s football coach, Sibabalwe Ndzamela, expressed nothing but admiration for Kahn.
“Tiago Kahn stands out as an exceptional player and leader. He possesses a deep understanding of his role and responsibilities. His passion for football is unparalleled, always prioritising God above all else, regardless of the situation,” Ndzamela said.
Kahn has improved both as a team player and as an individual, in both club and school settings, he added.
“I have personally learned several lessons from him. One thing is certain, we have yet to witness his full potential, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for him in the future,” he ended.
Leadership, both on and off the field, is one of Kahn’s strengths. “I would like to say I’ve always been a leader, but maybe that’s a lie,” he said candidly. “I don’t believe leadership is necessarily a skill that comes naturally. In my case, I was forged into being a leader because of the position I hold.
“Defenders have to be good leaders and the most vocal, but in saying this, I did strive to be the captain of any team that I played for. This obsession started when I was captain of my u6 team at Panorama and at school.”
Being regarded as a leader by others signifies that they have confidence in you. Kahn works on that by fostering good relationships with his teammates and coaches, which, in turn, contributes to his personal growth. His ability to problem-solve, his discipline, and his communication, have evolved over the years, he said.
Another indicator of his growth and improvement was his call up to the SAB League for Panorama’s first team, although, for once, things didn’t go his way, with Stars of Africa grabbing the win.
“It was a tough game against Stars of Africa, a game we ended up losing 3-0 due to an early goal in the first half and two late goals in the second half,” Kahn recalled.
When asked about how he felt before making his debut, Kahn said: “In all honesty, I have stopped feeling nervous before or during a match. The emotion I feel is excitement or eagerness, as it’s another opportunity to express my capabilities.
“I’m always thankful for the ability I have been given, and I always look forward to performing using these abilities to the highest level,” he explained.
Despite all of his successes, a footballer’s journey is never linear, and that, too, applies to Tiago Kahn.
He made the u15 National Team in 2023, then was picked up by Mamelodi Sundowns in 2024, but an ankle injury, which, he admitted, broke him, brought him back down to earth when it took longer to heal than expected.
“After that injury, I started playing less for Sundowns, and in all this time, I wasn’t called up for any national team camp,” he recalled. “The latter half of 2024 was very difficult for me, but my parents helped me to remain focused and grounded while I prayed and allowed God to take control of my journey.”
In 2025, Kahn returned to his childhood club, Panorama, where he began working under coach Luyanda Gcabashe. That experience, along with the support and guidance of his parents, has helped to shape his development into the person and player he is today.
While his time at Sundowns may not gone as he had hoped, he said he cherishes every moment spent with the Brazilians.
He characterised it as a highly competitive environment, emphasising that, as a player, one must adapt swiftly and enhance one’s skills, or risk being left behind.
“I was training with the best players in South Africa for my age group, day in and day out, so truth be told, I developed my technical part of the game,” he said.
“I became smarter as a footballer and learned so many lessons that I apply in my game now. Simple things like body positioning were done at a high level at Sundowns, and I picked up on that and tried to implement it in my game as best as possible.”
Player Profile – Tiago Kahn
Year: 2025
Club – u19 Panorama
GDL Appearances: 31 appearances, 12 wins, five draws, and 17 defeats, nine clean sheets, three goals, and one assist.
Engen Knockout Challenge (Gauteng): Crowned champions and scored in the final to defeat Kaizer Chiefs. Six appearances, six victories, one goal scored, and two goals conceded by Panorama throughout the tournament.
Engen Champs of Champs Appearances: Played six games, won four, drew 1, and lost 1. Four clean sheets.
School – Curro Wilgeheuwel First Team
St Andrew’s College Football Cup: Six appearances, three victories, one defeat. One goal scored, and two assists provided.
Waterstone College Super Cup: Seven appearances, four victories, two draws, and a loss in the final. Four goals were conceded by Curro Wilgeheuwel in the tournament, and Kahn scored two goals.
Independent Schools Soccer League: 10 appearances, 10 victories, and he scored five goals.
Curro Halala Cup: Knocked out in the round of round 16, and he scored one goal during the competition.
First Team Debut: He recently made his senior debut for Panorama’s first team in the SAB League.
2024
Club: Mamelodi Sundowns
u17 GDL:
u17 GDL League winners (Mamelodi Sundowns)
u17 Appearances: Played 23 games, won 16, lost two, and drew five times, while conceding 18 times.
u19 GDL: League runners-up.
u19 Appearances: Played three and won 3, and conceded two goals.
GDL Top 8: Runners-up
GDL Top 8 Appearances: Played two and won one, while conceding one goal.
u16 Kaapstadt Cup: Runners-up
u16 Kaapstadt Cup Appearances: Played two, won two games, and conceded one goal.
u17 Vision View Easter Cup of Champions: Third-place
u17 Vision View Cup of Champions Appearances: Played seven games, won five games, lost two, and conceded six goals.
u17 Randburg Friendship Cup: Winners/Gold Champion
u17 Randburg Friendship Cup Appearances: Played four games, won four, without conceding a goal.
2023
Club: Panorama (Captain)
u15 GDL: Finished the season in 14th place out of 18 teams.
u15 GDL Appearances: Played 34 games, won 10 games, lost 12 games, and drew 12, and scored 13 goals.
School: Curro Wilgeheuwel
Independent School Soccer League (First Team):
League winners, played two games and won both games without conceding a goal.
u16 Team:
Independent School Soccer League: Third-place finish.
Five games played, won four games, lost one game, scored four goals, and conceded five.
u15 Team: (Captain)
Discovery Schools League: League runners-up.
Eight games played, won seven, and lost one game. Scored three goals.
Gauteng Provincial Team:
Vice-captain and Defender of the Tournament
u15 SAFA Technical Development Scheme:
Fourth place finish, five games played, won three and lost two, while scoring one goal in the tournament.
u15 South African National Team:
u15 FIFA Three Nations Tournament: Vice-captain – one cap
Played against Côte d’Ivoire for 60 minutes.
2022
Club: Panorama
u15 GDL: Finished in 7th place out of 18 teams.
u15 GDL Appearances: Played 17 games, won eight, lost seven games, drew twice, and scored two goals while conceding 35 goals.
School: Curro Wilgeheuwel
Independent School Soccer League: u14 Team
League winners, played five and won five, scoring five goals while the team conceded eight goals.
u16 Team (Curro Wilgeheuwel)
St Andrew’s College Football Cup: Tournament winners
Six appearances, won four games, lost one game, and conceded four goals in the tournament.
2021
Club: u13 Panorama
u13 GDL: Third-place finish
u13 GDL Appearances: Played 14 games, won nine, lost two, drew three, and conceded 22 goals.
2020
Club: u13Panorama (Captain)
u13 GDL: Third-place finish
u13 GDL Appearances: Played four, won two, lost one, drew one. The league was then cancelled due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
2019
Club: u11 Panorama
Rand Central League: League winners
Rand Central League Appearances: Played six games and won them all.
Club: Football Factory (Vice-Captain)
VW Cup: Played six games, won two, lost three, and drew one.
Club: Rand Central
IberCup – Portugal Edition
IberCup Appearances: Played six games, won three games, lost two, drew one, and scored three goals.
2018
Club: u10 Panorama
IberCup – Portugal Edition
IberCup Appearances: Played five games, won two, lost two, and drew one.
2016-17
Club: u8-u9 SuperSport United
Mundialito – Spain u10
Mundialito Appearances: Played six games, won two, lost two, and drew two.
2015
Club: u7 Panorama
Junior League: League winners
2014
Club: u6 Randburg
Junior League: Player of the Season.
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