Sundowns claim Fifa African-Asian-Pacific Cup as Cardoso honuors fallen star and GBV victims

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso dedicated their Fifa African-Asian-Pacific Cup triumph to late midfielder Jayden Adams, as well as to the families affected by the tragic deaths of nine women in reported recent acts of gender-based violence.

The Brazilians defeated Al Ahli 2-1 in the second round of the intercontinental tournament courtesy of a brace from Player of the Match Nuno Santos. The victory aligns with the club’s ambition of conquering the global stage following their reign as African champions after winning the CAF Champions League.

Understanding that global success carries the weight of representing many people, Cardoso paid tribute to his fallen player during his post-match press conference in the nation’s capital.

⚽️ 𝔽𝕀𝔽𝔸 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕝 ℂ𝕦𝕡 🏆

The Brazilians conquer the Clash of the Continents to secure a place in the Challenger Cup final!

𝐌𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐢 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 2⃣➖1⃣ 𝐀𝐥-𝐀𝐡𝐥𝐢

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— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) September 19, 2026

“I think it’s a fantastic moment to honour Jayden Adams and dedicate this medal to his soul,” said an emotional Cardoso as he removed the medal from his neck and held it firmly in his hand deep inside Loftus Versfeld.

“He is always with us. I have to confess that I struggled a lot with his death. We promised ourselves that the best thing we can do is fight together and honour him on our journey. Today was an important step in that direction.”

Cardoso’s dedication also came in the wake of a horrific discovery of several women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni over recent days, raising severe concerns of a killer operating in the area.

“Yesterday, I also spoke about the families of all the women who left us,” Cardoso said. “I want to send strength and energy to their loved ones.”