South Africa World Cup star Jayden Adams dies aged 25, police launch investigation

South African police have opened an investigation into the death of World Cup footballer Jayden Adams, who was found dead at a property in Cape Town on Saturday at the age of 25. The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder’s passing comes just a fortnight after he helped Bafana Bafana reach the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history.

Authorities said Adams’ body was discovered at a property in the Schotsche Kloof area of the city at around 11am on Saturday. In a statement, police confirmed an inquest had been registered but stopped short of releasing a cause of death.

“Cape Town central police registered an inquest for investigation following the discovery of the body of a 25-year-old male on Saturday,” the statement read. “Circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation.”

Family “struggling to process” loss

Adams’ father, Juanito, spoke to South African broadcaster eNCA on Sunday and revealed the family was still waiting on the results of an autopsy. “As you all know, it was an untimely death. The family is struggling to process it,” he said.

He added: “It won’t be easy to carry on. People say it will become easier, but it won’t. You just learn to live with it.”

Adams had been a fixture in South Africa’s midfield during their run at this summer’s tournament, featuring in all three of the country’s group-stage fixtures before being an unused substitute as Bafana Bafana were eliminated 1-0 by Canada in the round of 32.

Emotional footage from World Cup celebrations

Footage that has since circulated on social media shows Adams sitting apart from his jubilant team-mates in the dressing room after South Africa’s win over South Korea, a result that sealed their place in the knockout rounds for the first time. The clip has taken on added poignancy in light of his death, though there is no confirmed link between his demeanour in the video and the circumstances of his passing.

Mamelodi Sundowns, Adams’ club side, led the tributes in the wake of the news. “Mamelodi Sundowns are devastated by the tragic passing of Jayden Adams,” the club said in a statement, describing the news as having left staff and supporters in a state of shock.

South Africa’s football community has been left reeling by the loss of a player who had emerged as a key figure in a historic World Cup campaign. Tributes continue to be paid across South African football, with the national federation and fellow players among those to have expressed their condolences.

Police have given no indication of when their investigation is likely to conclude, and no further details about the circumstances surrounding Adams’ death have been made public.

Read more: Infantino opens door to 64-team World Cup after 48-team ‘success’

Sources

• The Mirror
• The Independent

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.