Evidence Makgopa (born 5 June 2000) is a South African professional soccer player who plays as a forward for South African Premier Division side Orlando Pirates and the South Africa national team. He represented the South Africa under-23 team at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 June 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | GaMampa, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Orlando Pirates | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2018–2019 | Baroka | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2022 | Baroka | 71 | (15) |
| 2022– | Orlando Pirates | 18 | (5) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021– | South Africa Olympic | 3 | (1) |
| 2021– | South Africa | 15 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:26, 30 January 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:30, 30 January 2024 (UTC) | |||
Early life
Makgopa was born in GaMampa, near Burgersfort in Limpopo. He attended Poo Secondary School.
Club career
Makgopa was scouted by Baroka in 2018, and was promoted to their first team from their development squad in January 2020. He made his debut for the club on 23 February 2020 in a 2–2 Nedbank Cup draw with Hungry Lions; Makgopa scored their second goal as they advanced to the next round of the competition after winning the penalty shoot-out. He made his league debut on 1 March 2020 in a 2–1 defeat to Bloemfontein Celtic, He scored his first league goals for the club the following week as he scored a brace in a 2–0 victory over Black Leopards. He made 11 appearances for Baroka in all competitions during the 2019–20 season, scoring 5 goals.
International career
On 8 June 2021, Makgopa made his debut for South Africa as a substitute against Uganda and scored a brace in a 3–2 win. He represented the South Africa under-23 team at the 2020 Summer Olympics, and scored once in 3 appearances.
Career statistics
International
- Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Makgopa goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 June 2021 | Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa | Uganda | 1–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 3–1 | |||||
| 3 | 9 October 2021 | Bahir Dar Stadium, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia | Ethiopia | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 30 January 2024 | Laurent Pokou Stadium, San-Pédro, Ivory Coast | Morocco | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations |
Honours
South Africa
- Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2023