Orlando Pirates coach José Riveiro has revealed that he is happy about the work rate of Evidence Makgopa and has been working hard recently with his teammates on and off the pitch. 

The 24-year-old talisman played 19 league games and scored five goals for the Buccaneers last season. Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos believed in him last season and he was his first-choice striker in the AFCON. Makgopa helped Bafana Bafana to win the bronze medal in the AFCON at the beginning of this year in Ivory Coast. 

He managed to score at least one goal and assisted one goal in seven games he played. The Bafana Bafana striker has been outstanding this season at Pirates as he has scored four goals in four games. He scored his first goal of the season against SuperSport United in the quarterfinal of the MTN8 Cup. In the Betway Premiership, Makgopa has scored three goals. 

The former Baroka striker scored his third goal against SuperSport in their 2-0 victory at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday. The Spanish tactician Riveiro was impressed by the performance of Makgopa as he praised him after the game in the post-match press conference. 

 “He’s [Makgopa] been always there but he’s competing with (Tshegofatso) Mabasa, he’s competing with (Boitumelo) Radiopane in the position,” Riveiro said. 

“Again, he is a boy that is always working so hard. He is ready to work and when he gets one minute he gives you everything for one minute. 

 “When he gets 10 minutes he is an example to everybody because we are talking with a player that performed excellently in a tournament like AFCON. 

“Now that he’s going through a different period, most of the time he is on the bench. He’s been an example for everybody around what it means to be a professional, and that’s why he managed to perform at the level that he did. He’s working hard, he’s preparing himself and is always having everybody around in and out of the pitch. 

“Today [Tuesday] he did it on the pitch and you can see it, but that is Evidence, a very generous football player and we are so happy to have him in the squad.” 

Makgopa will be hoping to score his fifth goal of the season when Pirates are facing AmaZulu at Orlando Stadium in the Betway Premiership match on Friday.

Article by Gabriel Hlakanyana