Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Jayden Adams in an emotional letter.
Adams, 25, sadly passed away on Saturday morning having enjoyed a season and a half stint with Sundowns after joining the eight-time Betway Premiership champions from Stellenbosch FC in January 2025.
‘Grootman’ as Adams was affectionately known, played 62 matches in the Brazilian colours across all competitions where he also scored six goals. He has won the league once and the CAF Champions League as many times with the club.
Adams went on to represent his country at senior level 13 times where he has two goals and one assist. He was part of the historic Bafana Bafana squad that reached the second round at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Cardoso who arrived at Chloorkop in late 2024, described Adams in his tribute posted on his social media platform, Instagram, as a man of action than words, a talented, intelligent player while adding how he made him a better coach.
“We received you in our family not long after my arrival in the club and we grew together!” said the coach.
“I remember watching you play against Stade Malien in Loftus for the conference league, your last match for Stellenbosch. Goal! That incredible first post movement you have and beautiful header! Saw you easy, medium pace, reading the pitch and placing accordingly, like you had a gps and could avoid the traffic! The ball was clean, the game becoming quick, the teammates playing better! I remember asking in what position you were better! No clear answer!
“You came in Sundowns, I spoke about a good player, needing adaptation and the spirit to fight for a position in such competitive environment. You spoke also, not that you are a man of many words, but you did! We speak more by what we do than by the words we let go out from our mouths… You worked, you adapted, you understood, you brought yourself in, you played a little everywhere, you smiled, you loved, you enjoyed, you became one of us and us on you.
“And you didn’t speak much! You like that toothpick on the corner of your mouth, that look with socks and flip flops, that bending of the head almost every time we interacted and always a “yes coach”!
“What a guy you are! We about you! Several times! I said you are an intelligent player, capable to play in many positions, adaptative to the systems and tactically well developed, that you make us play better! You gave me every day the answer I asked for when I first saw you playing on that match!
“You spoke about me! “The coach made me a different player”! If difference is the quality, you spread everywhere we played I’m absolutely fulfilled and overwhelmed as a coach! You made me better coach by the football you helped us to play!
“This moment is devastating and all comes back to me… Miklós Fehér – FC Porto, Maicon – Shakhtar Donetsk, Emiliano Sala – Nantes and now you my dear boy Jayden Adams!
“We just spoke a few days ago! All looked normal, all looked peaceful! You were like that! Life teaches me every day that a coach must be from the players more than from the game! I hope I can apply that even more as we move forward, because we will!
“We will as you surely wished, battling from now on always with twelve men as we’ll carry you in our hearts everywhere we’ll go! Once I told you guys, “The bigger the dragon, the bigger the hero, the more epic the story”! You bravely faced the dragons, you are our hero, your story will remain epic! We’ll be here to proudly tell it!
“Lave you Grootman! Lave”
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