Former Stellenbosch Player Urges Adams and Basadien to Seek Loan Moves for World Cup Chances

Following Bafana Bafana’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, former Stellenbosch FC left winger Diego Brown has advised two Mamelodi Sundowns players, Jayden Adams and Fawaaz Basadien, to consider loan moves in January to improve their chances of making the final World Cup squad.

Bafana Bafana secured their spot at the World Cup for the first time since 2002, finishing strongly in Group C during the qualifiers. Despite the team’s success, Adams and Basadien have seen limited involvement in the later stages of the campaign.

Basadien remains the third-choice left back at Sundowns, behind Aubrey Modiba and Divine Lunga, and has yet to establish himself in the starting eleven. Adams has struggled to regain the form he showed when he joined Sundowns last January and has been omitted from the last two national team camps.

Brown, speaking to Soccer Laduma, stressed the importance of regular playing time for both players.
“I think for Fawaaz and Jayden, it would be a no-brainer to take a loan move in the next window to get some game time under their belts. Both came from lots of playing time at Stellenbosch to limited playing time at Sundowns. They were key players at Stellenbosch,” Brown said.

He added that while moving to Sundowns is understandable for ambitious players, the current focus should be on national team opportunities.
“It’s normal for them to have made a move to Sundowns because professional players are always dreaming and thinking about big moves. But we also need to look at their current situation. We have the Africa Cup of Nations coming and then the World Cup next year. These are tournaments anyone would want to be part of. For the sake of their dreams and aspirations, I would suggest a loan move for them to get playing time. In my opinion, both of them need this opportunity to represent their country.”

A loan move could provide Adams and Basadien the platform to regain form and impress Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, keeping their World Cup dreams alive ahead of next year’s showpiece.