Former Mamelodi Sundowns star Manqoba Ngwenya has lauded Jayden Adams for breaking into Miguel Cardoso’s starting XI ahead of Marcelo Allende, asserting that the Bafana Bafana star deserves to keep the Chilean on the bench.
Jayden Adams is quietly forcing his way back into the Mamelodi Sundowns team, and for the first time, his name is coming up ahead of Marcelo Allende’s.
After slipping out of the starting line-up late in 2025, Adams returned from the Africa Cup of Nations break looking sleek and sharp.
The 24-year-old has started four of Sundowns’ six matches in 2026, playing his part in wins over Orbit College, Sekhukhune United and Gomora United, before popping up with a crucial goal in the CAF Champions League draw away to Saint-Eloi Lupopo in Lubumbashi.
In a squad filled with proven names, Adams has offered balance in midfield and shown that form, not reputation, still matters at Chloorkop. Former Sundowns winger Manqoba Ngwenya believes that shift has been earned.
“He is one of the shortest guys on the pitch, you know,” Ngwenya said on the Soccer Beat podcast. “What a beautiful header, the way he directed that header back to goal. Just pure quality.
NGWENYA: JAYDEN ADAMS HAS GRABBED HIS OPPORTUNITY
“It is good when players work for their positions. You see them play well, and they get given an opportunity, and they take it.
“He had a great game against Gomora United in the Nedbank Cup, and you see him in the starting line-up.
“Ya definitely surprised, [Marcelo] Allende, you know, is definitely your tried and tested player in that line-up. Especially in an important game like today [Sunday]. But he was left on the bench.
“I guess if you work hard and you prove yourself, you get that opportunity. And I think Jayden Adams has grabbed his opportunity,” Ngwenya added.
For Sundowns, this is the kind of problem they welcome. Competition is real, standards are being pushed. Adams has made it clear that starting spots are no longer guaranteed, no matter the name on the back of the shirt.
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