Stellenbosch FC starlet Jayden Adams has enjoyed one of the best seasons in his career so far. After helping his club win the Carling Knockout by beating TS Galaxy in the final late last year, the 22-year-old was selected to be part of the Bafana Bafana team that went on to win the bronze medal at the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire. Hugo Broos is not the easiest coach to please, so being selected by him to the national squad at such a relatively young age by South African standards means there is something special about the lad. Coach Steve Barker will probably tell you as much. So, in this interview with Soccer Laduma's Zola Doda, the soft-spoken midfielder reflects on the successful tournament, making his Afcon debut against Namibia, while highlighting the learning experience gained from facing some of the top-name players in African football.
Zola Doda: Jayden, can you please tell us about your experience of playing at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire?
Jayden Adams: It was a nice experience and I have learnt a lot from being part of the tournament, being with my teammates as well as playing against some of the experienced players in African football. This was my first experience and it was a very big moment for my career. As a young player also, getting into the Afcon team, it was a big achievement for me coming from Stellenbosch, a big achievement for the club and everyone in Cape Town.
ZD: When you left South Africa for the West African nation, what were your expectations because Afcon is where all the best players on the continent get to test their skills against each other?
JA: I think when I was selected into Bafana Bafana, my expectation was to help my teammates achieve the goals that we set … and that was the main thing. They were also going to help me because we had experienced players like Themba Zwane, Percy Tau and Ronwen Williams, and they did help me a lot and I'm very grateful for that. The weather conditions are completely different and the level from the PSL to there, it's a different ball game. But as far as football is concerned, as South Africa we are on the same level as players who are playing in Europe because in the few games that we played, most of the games we dominated, and we were playing against a lot of European-based players. There are lot of players from Mamelodi Sundowns who deserve their place in Europe.
ZD: If that's the case, why do you think most people think that players who play overseas are better than their locally based counterparts?
JA: I think we are undermining ourselves. We've seen in the Afcon and where we reached – we went as far as third place… and nobody expected South Africa to reach third place. The big teams went out early. I think we are on that level. Not the same level, but we are not far behind compared to those players.
ZD: The game against Mali was one of the most difficult and Bafana Bafana ended up losing 2-0. How would you describe that match?
JA: I think we played good football, but we made mistakes. At half-time, we had a team talk about Mali's danger from throw-ins, and we talked about slowing the game down. But we conceded one of the goals from a throw-in and another from a free kick. I think we played a good game and unfortunately we lost. But we did learn from that and the following game against Namibia, we played much better. The training leading up to that match was very intense because the guys wanted to win. There were talks on social media that we were not going to make it out of the group stage, but as players, we knew that we had to win that game. We had to go and give everything, and we did that.
ZD: How was the rivalry against the Namibian players because some of them play in the DStv Premiership?
JA: We play against them in the PSL, we know them and their weak points. We analysed them and we threw everything at them. In the first half, we scored two goals. That was our main objective, to get goals as quickly as possible. We wanted a higher goal difference so that if we finished third, we could get a spot into the Last 16 (as one of the best third-placed teams). After the game, there were lots of high-fives in the dressing room. To put the cherry on top, I also made my Afcon debut and all the players were singing for me and just happy. The spirit was just different for me. I felt I was part of the tournament.
ZD: What did coach Hugo Broos say to you before you came on?
JA: He said I must go in there and enjoy myself and that he knew what I was capable of, and I did that. I told myself that I play against these guys and I'm just going to be myself. The coach didn't give me any specific instructions other than to keep it simple, play for the team and bring energy to the guys. Going to the final group match against Tunisia, we had a meeting before that game, just the players. The captain (Ronwen Williams) told us, 'We need to do our best and this must be the game of our lives.' That boosted the guys. We got on the field and it was a top performance. Everyone was pressing, playing for each other. If there is a player that was not in possession, there was going to be cover. The brotherhood started in the camp before the tournament. There were two to three players from Europe, a lot from Sundowns and myself and Oswin Appollis from Stellenbosch FC and Polokwane City… small teams. But I didn't feel left out, I felt like a Bafana player. We were all treated the same.
ZD: Then came the big encounter against Morocco in the Round of 16. We are talking about the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists here, so you guys had your work cut out for you. What was the exact approach?
JA: We had the same attitude we had against Tunisia, we knew Achraf Hakimi, their number eight (Azzedine Ounahi) and their wingers – there was going to be a lot of space behind them. And they didn't have the quickest centre-backs. That was our game plan. However, we did play a little bit defensively, but we were not afraid to press them high. We scored our first goal and when they missed their penalty, I knew that we were going through, and they were also getting tired. Just how we played the game and the bench guys were encouraging us every single time, it was just a nice moment. The brotherhood, how we were committed in that game, how we played was good. The subs who came on brought on more energy. When they got the penalty, I was stressed. If Hakimi had scored the penalty, it would have been a different game, but when he missed, it boosted us and made us focus. The free kick from Teboho Mokoena, when he scored, it was done. The mood in the dressing room afterwards, we were singing. It was just a good vibe in camp for the whole week. Leading up to the next game against Cape Verde, there was high intensity at training. Everyone was smiling, we were just happy to be there.
ZD: In the quarter-final against Cape Verde, you also came on as a substitute. Now that was one intense match, the Blue Sharks ran Bafana ragged.
JA: That game was a bit better for me. Most of the guys were tired and I could bring a bit of energy. That was a nice experience, to get 30 minutes. The game was suited to my style of play. Cape Verde had good players, but I think we played better. And the penalties came, I was nervous. We needed to work more on our penalties because we knew that Ronwen was going to save a few penalties. Unfortunately, we missed, but Ronwen saved.
ZD: Why was your name on the list of penalty takers?
JA: I was number six. I was very confident. When I told the coach that I was going to take the sixth penalty, I already had a corner in my mind. I knew where I was going to put the ball, so I was confident. But fortunately, we won before I could score.
ZD: The last time Bafana reached an Afcon semi-final was in 2000. So, credit to you guys.
JA: That was a very special moment and after the game, I received a lot of messages from friends and family, but unfortunately, I couldn't get back to all of them. Our next opponents, Nigeria, had of quality and their goalkeeper from Chippa United (Stanley Nwabali) is a top-class goalkeeper. If Ronwen Williams didn't win the Goalkeeper of the Tournament, it could have been him. The way they play, they sit back a lot. They didn't come at us because they knew we can play football. I wanted to play. I wanted to play every single game. Maybe next Afcon, I will play. Even though we lost, we were proud of ourselves. We wanted to go and get third place. That was going to be a nice experience. To have South Africa winning a medal was special.
ZD: What did you make of DR Congo?
JA: Preparations leading up to the match were very good. We had a couple of chances. But we went to penalties and, again, Ronwen came to the rescue. My overall impression from the tournament was positive. A lot of European-based players were very humble. The understanding they had and the respect they had was on another level and that was great for me.
ZD: Stellenbosch FC won the Carling Knockout after beating TS Galaxy in the final in December last year, and now you have a bronze medal from the biggest tournament in the continent.
JA: This means a lot to me after going through a tough year last year when we lost Oswin Andries. I did this for both of us. I think he could have also played at the Afcon… we will never know. When I received my call-up, I told myself I'm still the youngster, I'm still going to carry the balls. But the year was fantastic for me. Getting called up to the qualifiers, winning the Carling Knockout, going to the Afcon… I know we won the Carling Knockout, but the third place at Afcon is a much bigger achievement for me as a player. Playing against some of the best players in Africa, I can't describe the feeling. It was just my year. Maybe in future, I will get more game-time.
ZD: Two years from now there is a FIFA World Cup in Mexico, United States and Canada. Are you already looking that far?
JA: Yes, obviously. But we also have a lot of young and experienced players that can play there. I think we can go to the World Cup and if we get there, we can do a great job. With Stellenbosch, we want to get into the Nedbank Cup final and maybe finish as high as possible in the league so we can get a CAF spot. That is my goal.
ZD: Jayden, thanks a lot for taking time to talk to Soccer Laduma readers, we really appreciate it.
JA: My pleasure.
JAYDEN ADAMS FACT FILE
Date of birth: 5 May 2001 Place of birth: Stellenbosch, Western Cape
Nickname: None
Position: Midfielder
Jersey number: 23
Club: Stellenbosch FC
Honours: 5 Bafana Bafana caps, Carling Knockout winner (with Stellenbosch), 2023 Africa Cup of Nations bronze (with Bafana Bafana)
