Cape Town, South Africa: South African police have launched an investigation into the death of World Cup player Jayden Adams, whose body was discovered at a property in Cape Town over the weekend. He was 25.
Police said the body of the South African international was found on Saturday in the Schotsche Kloof area of Cape Town.
“Cape Town central police registered an inquest for investigation following the discovery of the body of a 25-year-old male on Saturday,” police said in a statement. “Circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation.”
Authorities have not disclosed a cause of death.
Adams died just two weeks after helping South Africa reach the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup for the first time.
The midfielder played in all three of South Africa’s group-stage matches during the tournament but did not feature in the team’s 1-0 defeat to Canada in the Round of 32 on June 28.
His father, Juanito Adams, told South African broadcaster eNCA that the family is awaiting the results of an autopsy and has not yet made funeral arrangements.
“As you all know, it was an untimely death. The family is struggling to process it,” he 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.”
South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie urged the public not to speculate on the circumstances of the player’s death while investigations are ongoing.
McKenzie said Adams had played in South Africa’s World Cup group-stage match against the Czech Republic just hours after learning of the death of his grandmother.
Tributes were paid to Adams during the World Cup quarter-final matches between England and Norway and Argentina and Switzerland, where moments of silence were observed in his memory.
