By Akinwale Kasali
The South African Football Community has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of its mercurial midfielder, Jaydeen Adams.
The Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club of South Africa player died less than a month after the passing of his grandmother, on the eve of South Africa’s Group A match against Czech Republic at Atlanta Stadium, USA.
The 25-Year old was instrumental to South Africa’s historic qualification for the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup, after the former apartheid country made its debut at the world stage in France 1998 World Cup.
The deceased played in all three of South Africa’s group-stage matches at the World Cup, as Bafana Bafana reached the Round of 32 for the first time, but did not feature in the knockout after it was defeated by Canada.
The South African Sport Minister, Gayton McKenzie in a statement said; “It is with profound shock and a heavy heart that I have learnt of the passing of Jayden Adams”.
The circumstances surrounding his death remains unknown, as the
Minister did not disclose any cause of death.
“South African football has lost one of its brightest young talents,” he added.
The Continent’s Football Governing Body, the Confederation of African Football, CAF, has also paid tribute, on X, saying:
“Football has lost one of its own.”
According to South African Police, an investigation has been opened after the body of the 25-year-old man was found at a house in Schotschekloof, a suburb in central Cape Town, on Saturday morning.
“Circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation,” Western Cape Police spokesperson told AFP.
The deceased was part of Mamelodi Sundowns team that won the 2026 CAF Champions League, and was also part of Bafana Bafana of South Africa squad that finished third at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
He was born in Cape Town, and started his Football career with Stellenbosch FC Academy and became the club’s first youth graduate to sign a professional contract in August 2020.
He went on to make 139 appearances for the Cape Winelands side and helped them win the Carling Knockout in 2023 before joining Mamelodi Sundowns in January 2025.
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