PRETORIA -- Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams is counting on the discipline that put him back in Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos' plans in Sunday's CAF Champions League final first leg against Morocco's AS FAR.
Sundowns will play the first leg at Loftus Versfeld, before a second leg clash in Rabat on May 24.
Adams will return to action after sitting out the last two matches of Masandawana's South African Premiership campaign with suspension due to a red card against Kaizer Chiefs on May 6.
He had been shown a first yellow card for a hefty challenge on Mduduzi Shabalala which could have been a red, but then received a contentious second yellow for simulation at the hands of referee Luxolo Badi.
The midfielder admitted that the two red cards he picked up during the league season -- including one against Golden Arrows two months prior to the Chiefs incident -- play on his mind.
Red cards against Golden Arrows in March and Kaizer Chiefs this month have been notable blips, and Adams said: "It plays a lot in my mind because this (the Champions League final) is a big one.
"You have to be careful. You don't want to put your team in a situation they don't want to be in, but for me; if I put that behind me [that would be best]."
Adams had also seen limited minutes at Mamelodi Sundowns in the first half of this season. However, impressive performances have ensured he has played a vital role in Miguel Cardoso's team since the turn of the year.
The 25-year-old has a tried and tested psychological template for success, having worked his way back into Broos' Bafana Bafana plans in March after a year out of the team.
Adams told journalists on Thursday: "I think for me, it was just to focus on myself first. I didn't play much last year, so I went home, reflected, trained alone and was hoping for a chance. I got my chance and I took it with both hands [against Panama]."
Broos had previously expressed similar sentiments on Adams' turnaround, having initially been unimpressed with the midfielder's attitude following his initial Bafana breakthrough in 2024, and subsequent January 2025 move to Sundowns from Stellenbosch FC.
Broos told the media in March: "I think Jayden is the same story as [Relebohile Mofokeng] and [Mbekezeli] Mbokazi. When you're so young and suddenly you become a very good player, a star, and there is so much interest in you, it's difficult to manage that.
"And in a certain moment, Jayden lost himself also. The moment he went to Sundowns, I think he thought: 'Ah, things are done,' and as time went on, he was not playing; he was on the bench, and he was even in the stands at certain moments.
"He did what he did with the national team [allegedly failing to arrive on time for a 2024 national team camp], when I was not happy with that, but he's learnt a lot, and he knows now. When you see him playing, he's more mature, and the qualities are still there. And this maturity is something he got in the last year."
Sundowns are chasing a second CAF Champions League title, having won their first in 2016 under Pitso Mosimane and lost last season's final to Egypt's Pyramids. Kick-off in the first leg is at 4pm CAT, with the winning club across both fixtures set to receive US$6 million.