Evidence Makgopa

The Baroka FC striker has become one of the standout performers in the DStv Premiership and is now a national team star too.

Evidence Makgopa has burst onto the scene in the last 12 months and become a key player for club and country, potentially a striker Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos can build his young team around. It was not that long ago he was playing in amateur tournaments near Burgersfort in Limpopo, but now the Baroka FC youngster is one of the most promising players in the DStv Premiership, who those in the know say could be headed for a big five league in Europe one day. He spoke to KICK OFF’s Nick Said.

KICK OFF: Where did youyour passion for football come from?

Evidence Makgopa: As a boy growing up in the rural areas, the only sport we could play was football. That is the only sport we really had access too. There were no facilities for cricket or rugby, so everybody just played football. It is rare to find someone from a rural area who plays those other sports. So I started playing football and I just loved it.

Are you from a footballing family? There is Brandon Makgopa at Marumo Gallants, is he any relation?

No, it is just a coincidence, I am not related to Brandon. I did have family members who played the game, my uncle Colman Makgopa was a very, very talented winger but unfortunately he never got the chance to play professionally. It is sad because he was such a good player.

So how did you end up at Baroka FC?

As a youngster I only really started playing at the age of 14. I would kick about with older brothers, cousins and that sort of thing. I played for a local club called Sekgobela Santos and it was through them that I was chosen for this side called Dream Team, that would play in local tournaments. The chairman is Thabiso Thobejane and he has done so much for players around there. The team was like a collection of the best players in the area who would be put into one side. They said they needed quality players and asked would I come along, so I said yes. We played in various tournaments every now and again, and the MDC team of Baroka was in one of those. I will never forget, it was on December 30, 2018 and we made the final and won. We were just so happy to be champions. But there were also scouts watching from Baroka and they asked me and three of the players from the opponents we beat in the final to come on trial. They created these special trials for us and we played against other local teams like Boyne Tigers [who featured in the 2019 Nedbank Cup]. I was there for a month and then signed for the Baroka SAB Regional League team. I think it was around the June of 2019 that I was promoted to join the MDC team, but after just four games with them I went up to the first team in January [2020].

Your coach at the time was Dylan Kerr, what did he say to you?

He was great, he told me I need to grab this opportunity and said that I reminded him of [Ivory Coast legend] Yaya Toure! He just kept telling me that I have to push myself harder and harder. That you cannot succeed without hard work. I appreciated that.

You were handed your professional debut against Hungry Lions in the Nedbank Cup just a month after being promoted to the first team. Was that daunting for you?

No, I was not scared, for me it was just excitement, that is what I felt. Truly speaking, since I started playing I have this thing where I don’t really fear opponents. It is quite difficult to explain because I don’t want to sound arrogant. But I believe this is God’s plan for me and he has brought me to this point, so why should I be frightened? I just think, ‘I can do this’. It doesn’t matter to me who we are playing against, who the opposition is or the player I am up against. I won’t fear them. You can respect your opponents, but you should not be scared of them because of their reputation. I always push very hard to have a good game, every match I give my best. But if I do have

“HE TOLD ME I NEED TO GRAB THIS OPPORTUNITY AND SAID THAT I REMINDED HIM OF [IVORY COAST LEGEND] YAYA TOURE!”

a bad game, because it happens, I don’t let it get me down. So be it, I will be back the next match trying even harder. I think it is normal for players to feel nervous energy, but for me it is never fear. Because I think if you allow that it will mean you are more likely to have a bad game, or mess up, because you become too anxious.

Just a few weeks later you then scored twice in a DStv Premiership game against Black Leopards and got the Man of the Match!

Yes, that was my third game with the team when I scored twice. That was amazing, it gave me this belief that I could play in the PSL. Scoring so early in my career helped me a lot with confidence.

Who have been some of your role models in football, was there anybody that you particularly admired as a youngster?

Growing up I loved watching the likes of [Sweden legend Zlatan] Ibrahimović, he just has this amazing skill and presence. But as time went on, I looked to people like [Strasbourg and Bafana Bafana striker] Lebo Mothiba. I look at him and I think, ‘if he can reach that level, then what is stopping me?’. He has shown me that it is possible to make it to Ligue 1 and that if you keep working hard, then someone from South Africa can go and play for and against big teams. I want to be like Mothiba and the other players like them. And I like to think that it is achievable for me.

You really shone in 2020/21, which was when many people across the country sat up and took notice of you. At the end you took home the DStv Premiership Young Player of the Season award. How would you describe that campaign?

It obviously went really well and I felt like I deserved the Young Player award. But I was left with this feeling like, if I can push harder I can achieve even more than that. And you know I learn every day. Every day. I learn from the things I do well, and I learn from the mistakes I make. Each game or training session is a new lesson. And I think being able to make peace with your mistakes is important, you can’t let them hold you back. I would never do that.

At the end of the season you were called up to the Bafana Bafana squad for the friendly international against Uganda, coming off the bench to score twice. At the time you were just the second ever Bafana player to net twice on debut after Katlego Mphela in 2005. Some weeks later Victor Letsoalo got a hat-trick on debut in the COSAFA Cup. But what was that like, to make such an impact on your national team, debut?

After that night, I was like, ‘wow, things are really happening for me’. I just wanted to keep that feeling, and wanted things to stay that way, so I promised myself I would keep my head down, be humble and respect the game. Because this was how I wanted things to be, to live my dream in this way.

Were you confident you would get a goal?

Honestly, while I was sitting on the bench I knew I would score if I came on. I had been studying the Uganda defence while I was watching the game. Then the coach [Helman Mkhalele] came to me at halftime and said, ‘you are going in. This is your time, just be yourself and play the way you do’. I appreciated that because it told me that

“TRULY SPEAKING, SINCE I STARTED PLAYING I HAVE THIS THING WHERE I DON’T REALLY FEAR OPPONENTS.”

he believes in me. So when I went on, with what I had seen in the first half, my confidence went up another level. I missed a chance early on in the half but I didn’t let it bother me and I got my goals. It was amazing.

You went off the Olympics and scored that great goal against France, what was that experience like?

I was satisfied with my own performance at the Olympics. The team did not do so well, we all know that, but there were a lot of challenges there. I just kept my head down and played as best I could. I think I did well, especially with the goal against France. It also gave me a lot of confidence.

You started both 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Ghana. Although you did not get a goal, you did win praise for the work ethic you brought in both games …

We are on top of the table, I think if we can keep up the good work we have a real chance to go to the next stage. Now we just need to keep the consistency. I was happy with how things went for me.

“I THINK BEING ABLE TO MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR MISTAKES IS IMPORTANT, YOU CAN’T LET THEM HOLD YOU BACK.”

And what is it like working with coach Hugo Broos?

It is really good. He is one of those coaches that gives you a lot of confidence. You can see that he played at a very high level, just by the way he talks to you and the things he says. He knows what it is like to be an international player. He says, ‘it is only you, trust yourself, push yourself and have confidence’. I feel like he will always support me, all of the time. He is one of those coaches that respects the player and knows what the player needs.

Do you have a favourite goal you have scored so far, for club or country?

[Laughs] The one against Orlando Pirates in in the [Gauteng] bio-bubble. It was way, way offside, go check the video, but it was a nice one-touch finish and I really like that goal. Also, you know, with the offside, that is football. Sometimes you get a bit of luck like that, other times you are onside and the flag goes up. That is how the game is.