South African midfielder Jayden Adams, 25, has died. The news was confirmed on Saturday by South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, in a statement.
“It is with deep shock and a heavy heart that I have learned of the death of Jayden Adams, midfielder for Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana,” McKenzie wrote on the social network X. “South African football has lost one of its brightest young talents.”
McKenzie urged restraint and asked not to speculate on the cause, which has not yet been confirmed. Adams helped South Africa reach the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time. Before the quarterfinal match between Norway and England, a minute of silence was observed in his memory.
He started the opening match of the tournament against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, and came on in the 61st minute. He also started against the Czech Republic, but was substituted at half-time. According to McKenzie, Adams played that match hours after learning of his grandmother’s death.
The South African Footballers’ Union also expressed its condolences:
“Death has cruelly taken one of our own from us. We will always remember his humility, his extraordinary talent and the pride with which he represented South Africa.”
Adams played several seasons at Stellenbosch before joining Mamelodi Sundowns last year. With that club he won the African Football Confederation Champions League this year. President Cyril Ramaphosa and other organizations also sent their condolences.
