The body of Colombian U20 and U17 player Leidy Asprilla was recovered on Wednesday on a highway in the southwest of Colombia, police have confirmed.

Asprilla, 22, had been missing since Sunday. Police said they found the body in heavy forest at dawn on a highway that runs from El Cerrito to Rozo, in Valle del Cauca, near Cali.

"We are deeply saddened by the death of our player," the Colombian League said in a news release. "The 36 clubs that make up DiMayor [the league] and our president, Jorge Enrique Velez, unite at this moment of grief with family, friends and teammates."

Asprilla played for Orsomarso as well as for the Colombian national team. Police said the cause of death is still under investigation and reported that they found all of her belongings as well as her motorbike, near the body. Her aunt, Amparo Asprilla said that her niece left home on Sunday in El Cerrito to pick up a teammate for a training session but never arrived. The family initially thought she had been kidnapped.

Asprilla is remembered for the goal she scored against Brazil in the South American U17 championships.