Evidence Makgopa

From GaMampa, Limpopo, Evidence Makgopa was born in June 2000 in South Africa. Having started his career with Baroka FC, the striker has been with Orlando Pirates FC since 2022. A standout at the last African Cup of Nations, Makgopa has scored four goals in his seventeen international appearances for Bafana Bafana. Along with Lucas Ribeiro of Mamelodi Sundowns, he is the top scorer in the Betway Premiership with four goals in six games.

From a physical point of view, Evidence has a mesomorphic morphology and a tall stature – he measures 1.88 metres according to data available online. His long legs allow him to move with considerable speed, as well as good acceleration. The 24-year-old striker also demonstrates that he knows how to use his body at different moments in the game – he’s both clever in duels and when he’s advancing with the ball. Last but not least, his impetus gives him an advantage in the air, along with his height.

Technically, Evidence Makgopa has an interesting level for his height. He’s a player who manages to create imbalances individually, above all through progression, since, as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, he uses his body to outdo his opponent when it comes to bearing down on him. Freed from pressure, he can explode into space, with and without the ball, as he is a strong striker when it comes to diagonals from the inside out. Receiving in the side corridors, especially on the right, he can take on the opposition in the offensive 1v1 and look to cross with judgement. When it comes to finishing, although he’s strongest when attacking high balls – he’s accurate in his movements inside the area and has good heading technique – Makgopa can finish with his first touch, as he’s strong in his clearing movements – he’s always on the edge of the offside trap and ready for any ball that comes his way.

The South African is a striker who manages to relate to the game as a whole: he both creates for others and idealises scenarios to finish. This shows a lot of intelligence in the way he understands the game and relates to it in the different scenarios in which he plays. His African Cup of Nations performance was an example of this and of how much he was able to give Bafana Bafana at every moment of the game – in defence, he’s an equally intelligent striker in closing down lines of passing and in the way he puts intensity and aggression into pressing.

In the future, I think it’s possible to see Evidence Makgopa on the Old Continent. Ideally, it would be interesting to see him in countries that value strikers, such as Belgium, Austria, or Denmark. The necessary step for this to happen is to increase his number of goals, something that is happening at the moment with Orlando Pirates FC. If he remains constant, he will start to become a focus of attention, something that could take him to the next level.