Percy Tau

Brighton & Hove Albion On 20 July 2018, Tau signed a four-year contract with English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, for an undisclosed transfer fee, On 7 January 2021, he returned to Brighton & Hove Albion, after being recalled from his loan spell at Anderlecht.

Loan to Union SG On 15 August, Tau joined Belgian second division side Union SG, owned by Brighton chairman Tony Bloom, on a season-long loan. He was immediately introduced into the first team and played a particularly important role in the Belgian Cup during the first half of the season, scoring four goals in six appearances to help the club reach the semi-finals after recording historic wins over both Anderlecht and Genk.

In April 2019, after scoring six goals and recording seven assist to help Union finish the season in second place, Tau was one of three players nominated for the Player of the Season award, alongside teammate Faïz Selemani. He ultimately won the award and was named in the league's team of the season.

Loan to Club Brugge

On 29 July 2019, Tau signed for Belgian side Club Brugge on loan for the 2019–20 season. He made his debut for the club on 2 August 2019 against Sint-Truiden where he scored in the club's 6–0 home victory. On 13 August, he was sent off with for a second bookable offence during a 3–3 away draw against Dynamo Kiev in what was only his second career Champions League game. Brugge went through 4–3 on aggregate. Tau appeared in the 2–2 away draw at Real Madrid on 1 October, where he assisted the first goal.

The league was ended in May with one remaining match to be played due to COVID-19. Tau played 18 league matches scoring three as Club Bruges won the title, finishing 15 points clear of 2nd place.

Loan to Anderlecht

On 4 August 2020, Tau signed for Belgian club Anderlecht, on a one-year loan. He made his debut for the club on 16 August 2020, coming on as a substitute in the 64th minute against Sint-Truiden, and scored his first goal as Anderlecht won the match 3–1.

Return to Brighton On 7 January 2021, Tau was recalled by parent club Brighton, after just four months at Anderlecht, following the club receiving a Governing Body Endorsement, the new points-based system for non-English players which came into force when the transition period following the UK's exit from the European Union ended, from the FA for Tau. Three days later he made his league debut for Brighton starting in the 1–0 Premier League loss at Manchester City. On 15 May, while only making his third Premier League appearance Tau sent in a through ball to Danny Welbeck who chipped the ball over keeper Łukasz Fabiański putting The Seagulls ahead in an eventual 1–1 home draw against West Ham.

Al Ahly

Tau signed a permanent deal for Egyptian Premier League Al Ahly on 26 August 2021. Tau played in the 2021 CAF Super Cup on 22 December, in which he assisted Al Ahly's goal in the eventual penalty shootout victory.

Tau would go on to make 126 appearances for Ahly in all competitions, scoring 30 goals and providing 14 assists.

Qatar SC In January 2025, following three and a half seasons with Al Ahly in Egypt, Tau signed for Qatar Stars League club Qatar SC. Qatar SC paid Al Ahly a reported transfer fee of $450,000 for Tau.

International career Tau made his debut for South Africa on 17 October 2015 in a 0–2 loss to Angola in a 2016 African Nations Championship qualification match. On 24 March 2019, he scored twice in a 2–1 win over Libya to secure South Africa's qualification for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. His brace took him to four goals for the qualifying campaign, ranking him among the highest goalscorers in qualification.

Tau was named in the South African squad for the 2019 edition of the African Cup of Nations. He started in all five games for his country where they made the quarter-final stage, losing to Nigeria to deny them a semi-final spot.

Career statistics

Club

Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first.

Honours Mamelodi Sundowns Premier Soccer League: 2013–14, 2017–18 Nedbank Cup: 2014–15

Al Ahly Egyptian Premier League: 2022–23, 2023–24 Egypt Cup: 2021–22, 2022–23 Egyptian Super Cup: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024 CAF Champions League: 2022–23, 2023–24 CAF Super Cup: 2021 FIFA African–Asian–Pacific Cup: 2024 FIFA Club World Cup third place: 2021, 2023

South Africa Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2023 2018 Four Nations Tournament

Individual Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot: 2017–18 PSL Footballer of the Year: 2017–18 PSL Players' Player of the Season: 2017–18 Belgian First Division B Player of the Season: 2018–19 Belgian First Division B Team of the Season: 2018–19 African Inter-Club Player of the Year: 2023