Police are investigating the death of South Africa World Cup footballer Jayden Adams after his body was found this weekend at a property in Cape Town.
Adams, 25, passed away two weeks after helping South Africa reach the knockout phase of a World Cup for the first time.
Officials have not yet disclosed what caused his death.
In a statement, police said Cape Town’s central unit opened an inquest following the discovery of the body of a 25-year-old man on Saturday. “The circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation,” the statement added.
Police said Adams’ body was located at a property in the Cape Town area of Schotsche Kloof at around 11 a.m. on Saturday, though no further details were provided.
Adams’ father, Juanito Adams, told South African television station eNCA on Sunday that the family is awaiting the findings of an autopsy and has not made funeral arrangements yet.
“As you all know, it was an untimely death. The family is struggling to process it,” Juanito Adams said. “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.”
On the pitch, Adams appeared in all three of South Africa’s group matches as the team delivered their strongest showing at the tournament. He was not involved in the round-of-32 match, a 1-0 defeat to Canada on June 28.
Hours after learning that his grandmother had died, South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie acknowledged Adams’ resilience for playing in a group fixture against the Czech Republic. McKenzie urged the public and media to “exercise restraint and compassion” and to avoid speculation about Adams’ death while the authorities carry out their inquiries.
On Saturday, tributes were also paid to Adams, with moments of silence observed in World Cup quarterfinals including England versus Norway and Argentina versus Switzerland.
