Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams has opened up about being told to fix his attitude after Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos punished him last year for his transgressions.
Adams was dropped from the squad during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers last year for disciplinary reasons, as Broos made it clear that he would not tolerate ill-discipline in his squad.
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On his return to the Bafana Bafana squad recently, Adams found the back of the net in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin, carrying his fine form for Sundowns into the national team.
With his excellent form at Sundowns, Broos was unable to ignore the player and his decision to bring him back proved to be a masterstroke as South Africa put themselves in a comfortable position at the top of their group in the World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking to media on Thursday morning ahead of Sundowns' CAF Champions League clash against Egyptian giants Al Ahly this weekend, Adams admitted that being left out of the squad was an eye-opener and he has since fixed his attitude.
"It's like I was not out for a while. They welcomed me like I was not out for a while. The coach did punish me. I did my punishment. When I got back, I think my performance didn't give him a decision to put me out of the team," Adams told media at Chloorkop.
"It was an eye opener for me to do better and to fix my attitude. I did that and now I am back. Thank God for that."
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Adams has a good chance of starting when Sundowns host Ahly at Loftus Stadium this Saturday, arguably the biggest match of the season for the club so far. This is a match that's unlikely to faze the 23-year-old midfielder, considering how he was able to quickly fit in and play regularly at Sundowns after signing for them in January.
"For me, I am a ball player. It wasn't easy to fit into the team. In this team, we like to have the ball and we press. Sometimes they say I am lazy, but I know where to be in the spaces. The team has helped me a lot, especially the coach. He has made me a different player," the former Stellenbosch FC midfielder said.
