“I Love You, Grootman”: Cardoso’s Raw, Five-Minute Tribute To The Late Jayden Adams
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has delivered a devastating, five-minute tribute to Jayden Adams, describing the late Bafana Bafana midfielder as a “special, quiet hero” who made him a better manager.
The South African football fraternity remains in deep mourning following the sudden death of the 25-year-old playmaker on Saturday, 11 July, just weeks after he helped guide Bafana Bafana to a historic knockout stage finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In a poignant display of Adams’ global impact, FIFA observed official moments of silence before the World Cup quarter-final clashes between England and Norway, and Argentina and Switzerland.
What was Miguel Cardoso’s reaction to Jayden Adams’ death?
Speaking at a highly emotional memorial service on Tuesday, Cardoso spoke uninterrupted for over five minutes. The Portuguese tactician laid bare the profound bond he shared with the midfielder, who joined the Brazilians from Stellenbosch FC in early 2025.
“Basically, I have a few things to tell you: what you were, what you are, and what you mean to us,” Cardoso said.
“We received you into our family not long after I arrived at Sundowns, and we grew together.
“I remember watching you play against Stade Malien at Loftus in the CAF Confederation Cup. It was your last match for Stellenbosch. You scored with that beautiful header of yours. I saw your medium pace, your pitch-reading, and how you placed yourself like a GPS to avoid traffic. The ball was clean, the game became quick, and your teammates played better because of you.”
Cardoso recalled Adams arriving in Tshwane determined to fight for his place in a star-studded Sundowns midfield:
“You told me you were not a man of many words. But you adapted, you understood your value, and you played everywhere. You liked simple things—that toothpick in the corner of your mouth, the flip-flops, the way you scratched your head during our chats, always saying, ‘Yes, coach.’
“You once told people that I made you a different player, but I am the one who is fulfilled. You made me a better coach with the football you helped us play. This moment is devastating.”
How does the tragedy affect Cardoso and Mamelodi Sundowns?
For Cardoso, the tragedy carries a haunting familiarity. This is the fourth time in his managerial career that he has lost a player under his watch, having previously experienced similar tragedies at FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, and FC Nantes—where he coached Argentine striker Emiliano Sala before his fatal plane crash.
“And now you, my dear boy, Jayden Adams,” Cardoso added.
“We spoke just a few days ago. Everything seemed normal and peaceful, exactly like you were. Life teaches me that a coach must belong first to the players, and then to the game.
“We will move forward, but from now on we play with 12 men. We will carry you in our hearts. I once told you all: the bigger the dragon, the bigger the story. You have faced your dragons. You are our hero. I love you, Grootman. I love you so much.”
A History of Heartbreak in Chloorkop
Tragically, Adams is the fourth active or transitioning Sundowns player to lose his life in recent years, joining a painful list of club legends who met untimely deaths:
- Gift Leremi (2007)
- Motjeka Madisha (2020)
- Anele Ngcongca (2020 — who passed away just as he was finalizing a loan move to AmaZulu)
Adams departs having secured both the domestic league title and the CAF Champions League crown during a glittering, yet tragically cut-short, 2025/26 campaign with the Chloorkop giants.
