After the start to their season was delayed by a week following the death of Jayden Adams, Mamelodi Sundowns are finally returning to action on Saturday against Polokwane City in the MTN8 quarter-finals.
Sundowns will then play their first South African Premiership game on August 11, next Tuesday against TS Galaxy.
Their two main rivals -- Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs -- will also be in action this weekend. However, both Soweto giants already began their league season on August 1.
Why did Mamelodi Sundowns get an extra week off?
Sundowns' pre-season plans were thrown into turmoil by Adams' death, with their trip to Austria delayed.
They played their first pre-season friendly in Austria 10 days after Adams died, drawing 1-1 to Hertha BSC on July 21. Sundowns subsequently lost 2-0 to Saudi club Al-Hilal before drawing 1-1 against Algeria's MC Alger.
The Brazilians previously picked up four points from two group stage games against MC Alger en route to winning the 2025-26 CAF Champions League title. Throughout that gruelling run, Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso had pleaded with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to be more flexible in terms of rescheduling fixtures.
This time, the governing body of South Africa's two top divisions saw eye-to-eye with Sundowns. An arrangement was reached in order to enable the mourning process after the untimely loss of a 25-year-old Bafana Bafana midfield maestro.
Can Mamelodi Sundowns replace Adams on the field?
Sundowns suffered another devastating loss in December 2020, when South Africa centre-back Motjeka Madisha died in a car accident. Few clubs in South Africa, if any, could have dealt with losing such a talented player and going through grief off the field while continuing to perform so well on it.
For one, when Orlando Pirates' iconic goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was fatally shot, it had a devastating impact on the mental health of fellow shot-stopper Brighton Mhlongo - who admitted to ESPN that he went off the rails in subsequent years partially due to the pressure this put on him before getting his life back on track.
It is not only in South Africa where suffering a loss of life can be devastating to the atmosphere around a football club. Liverpool struggled last season in their Premier League title defence without late winger Diogo Jota.
The loss of Adams is a fresh wound that has scarred many within South African football -- both inside Chloorkop and well beyond its walls -- but in pure football terms, Sundowns are as prepared as anybody could be due to their remarkable depth and financial reserves.
Portuguese midfielder Miguel Reisinho had a mixed debut season in South Africa, but could play a more important role in this campaign. Bathusi Aubaas struggled with injury for much of the season, but is another capable defensive midfielder.
In the long run, 20-year-old Gomolemo Kekana is the midfielder on Sundowns books most likely to produce magic similar to that which fans grew accustomed to watching from Adams.
Despite giving key opportunities to rising stars Thato Sibiya and Kutlwano Letlhaku in Sundowns' CAF Champions League success, Cardoso has generally erred on the side of conservatism in the management of their young local talent. With the wealth of options available to him, it is difficult to blame him.
The Portuguese tactician's cautious approach to throwing youngsters in the deep end may actually be precisely what is needed at this moment, as throwing too much responsibility onto young Kekana's shoulders in a sensitive moment would be a risky move.
Sundowns do have a midfield star in Teboho Mokoena who is capable of tracking back and doing dirty work defensively, but having Adams alongside him allowed him to get forward and contribute offensively.
While Sundowns have the talent to fulfill responsibilities on the football field, Adams brought a tenacity to his game which was purely human and it will be extremely difficult to replicate the galvanising effect that had on those around him.
