Orlando Pirates striker Evidence Makgopa has been going through a roller-coaster experience since joining the club ahead of the 2022/23 season from Baroka FC.
His most recent Pirates campaign has been disappointing, though he enjoyed an impressive Africa Cup of Nations tournament with Bafana Bafana earlier in the year.
READ: How Pirates Were Beaten To Mdunyelwa
Makgopa had scored in the famous 2-0 win over Morocco in the last 16 round, a performance which silenced most of his critics.
In the PSL, injuries then a loss of form, among other factors, hampered his progress. At Pirates he was limited to 26 appearances across all competitions, during which he scored six goals and provided two assists.
Despite that, given his excellent all-round contribution upfront with South Africa at AFCON, Makgopa was even linked with a move abroad. With Iqraam Rayners starring for Bafana in the most recent international fixtures, the 24-year-old Makgopa remains a key figure for the national team, having made 17 appearances and scored four goals since his debut in June 2021.
The Bucs striker went on to discuss his season and the interest from abroad.
"No, it cannot be a distraction (overseas interest). One thing I realised is that it can push you but you have to stay focused because I think… I'm still an Orlando Pirates player so I have to stay focused on the team," Makgopa told SABC Sport.
Reflecting on domestic football, Makgopa acknowledged that it wasn't the season he had hoped for due to time spent sidelined by injuries among other issues. However, he remains optimistic about the future.
"Prepare for next season because we will be here, I think personally, I think I didn't have that season of my desire…like. I think I didn't do much, but we tried, we pushed proudly so I can say I'm proud to be back-to-back champions with the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup.
"I think we had a great season as a team, even though we nearly disappointed our supporters but I can say that we really had a great one and we wrapped it up with the Nedbank trophy so I think it's a good present to go to the off-season with," Makgopa added.
READ: Sekhukhune Monitoring Khune Situation
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
