Ouaddou Hails Makgopa After Brace Seals CAF Group Stage Spot
Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has praised Evidence Makgopa after the striker seized his opportunity to impress following his return from injury.
Makgopa scored a brace in Pirates’ second-leg encounter against Namibian side African Stars in the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League on Friday, helping the Buccaneers secure their place in the group stages. The match marked his first start of the season after recovering from injury.
The 26-year-old missed Pirates’ opening matches of the campaign before returning to action in the MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns, where he came on as a second-half substitute.
His recovery coincided with the FIFA international break, when Bafana Bafana were preparing for their international commitments, but the striker missed out on an opportunity to represent his country.
Makgopa was not included in the Bafana Bafana squad for next month’s two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Kenya, coached by Benni McCarthy. However, his performance against African Stars has given him an opportunity to build momentum at club level.
Ouaddou expressed his satisfaction with the mentality and unity within his squad, praising even those who did not get an opportunity to play.
“I’m happy with all the players who played on Friday and those who were in the squad, including the guys who didn’t get the opportunity to come onto the pitch. I’m very happy with their mentality. They support their teammates, and we can really see the unity within this team,” he said.
“When somebody scores, everybody rushes over to celebrate with them. You can see that there is a very good atmosphere in the team.
“Regarding Evidence, his last official game was last season, and we wanted to give him an opportunity on Friday. I think he took it. He was fantastic. He was moving everywhere and finding space.
“One of the things I told him to improve was holding the ball between the lines as a target player. He allowed us to play some layoffs and find the third man. He also scored, so that was very positive for me.
“It’s an area where I want to see efficiency. Now I have Boitumelo Radiopane, Yanela Mbuthuma, Sebastian Pedersen and Sifiso Luthuli. Everybody is scoring, which is very good for us because qualifying for the group stages allows me to rotate and give opportunities to all the players. Now, I have one more player.”
The Buccaneers will return to action on Tuesday when they face Milford in the Carling Knockout round of 16.
Makgopa will be hoping to carry his impressive form into the domestic competition as he looks to build on his brace and continue making the most of the opportunities coming his way.
