When Hugo Broos announced his final squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, there was a lot of concern from my side.
In particular, I looked at the striking department and thought there was absolutely no way Bafana Bafana were going to be a threat for countries like Mali and Tunisia in the group stages of the competition. Without Lyle Foster, Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Fagrie Lakay included in the team, I felt as though we were going to Ivory Coast to add the numbers in the competition.
Little did I know that I was going to be proven wrong. The one person who made me eat humble pie throughout the competition is Orlando Pirates striker Evidence Makgopa, who was one of the team's best performers.
Makgopa may have finished the tournament with just the one goal which he scored against Morocco in the last 16, but he was a menace for defenders, using his height and strength to create opportunities for himself, as well as his teammates.
In the clash against Nigeria, he forced some good saves of Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
My concern going into the competition was that Makgopa has not been lethal at Pirates and has missed some glorious opportunities in front of goal. What I did not consider was what else he can do as a striker.
I understand that the primary job of a striker is to put the ball in the back of the net, but Makgopa has the ability to cause problems and find openings with the aerial battles that he can win. At times, he can hold up play and allow some of the midfielders to make those late runs into the box.
Judging by what we saw from the former Baroka FC striker in Ivory Coast, he can certainly play a big role for the Buccaneers in the second half of the season, which kicks of this weekend.
With Zakhele Lepasa struggling to rediscover his early season form, Makgopa can use the opportunity to further cement his place in the starting line-up and add onto the four goals he has bagged in this campaign.
He can definitely be one of Pirates' most important players. Not just for this season, but for years to come. And the more he plays at international level, the better he will become. Who knows, maybe he can end up making a move abroad. It's certainly not impossible.
At 23, he has age on his side.
