South Africa midfielder Adams dies aged 25

CAPE TOWN: South Africa international midfielder Jayden Adams, who ​featured in all three ​of his side's group stage games at the 2026 World Cup, has died, the country's sports ministry said on Saturday.
No cause of death was given.
Adams, 25, started the Group A fixtures against Mexico and the Czech Republic, and came ⁠off the bench in the 1-0 win over South Korea ⁠that earned the side a first-ever place in the knockout rounds, where they were beaten by Canada.
The player's grandmother died a day before South Africa ‌played the Czechs, and he was ​replaced at halftime ⁠during the fixture.
He played for the Pretoria-based Mamelodi ​Sundowns in South Africa, helping ‌them to the African Champions League title in the 2025/26 season.
'South African football has lost a ​gifted player, a proud servant of the game and a young life that still had so much to offer,' the South African Football Players' Union, an official body for players in the country, said in a statement.
South Africa's Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie also expressed his ​condolences.
'Our nation mourns alongside his family, his team-mates and the millions ​of ‌supporters ⁠who watched him grow from a promising academy prospect into a full Bafana Bafana international,' McKenzie said in a statement.
Fifa President Gianni ​Infantino offered his condolences via Instagram, saying his 'thoughts ⁠and condolences, as ​well as those of everyone at Fifa and the global football community, are with his family, friends and team-mates'.
Adams came through the youth development structures at Stellenbosch FC and joined Sundowns in ​January 2025.
He made his international debut against Mozambique in ​2022 and won 13 caps, scoring two goals, both in qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. — Reuters