At some point during the Bafana Bafana press conference, Hugo Broos put his arm around Evidence Makgopa, displaying how much the coach is fond of the striker who is back in the team after some time without being selected.
The Orlando Pirates striker is one of Broos' soldiers and his return to the national team should come as no surprise. This is a man who was Broos' main striker at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) earlier this year and the only reason it's taken time for him to return to the national is because of injury, which led to him losing his place in the starting line-up at Pirates last season to Tshegofatso Mabasa, who was in fine form by the time Makgopa returned to full fitness.
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Clearly a man of patience, Makgopa had to fight his way back, first coming from the bench before winning his place in the starting line-up ahead of Mabasa. He's now on six goals in all competitions for the Buccaneers and it gave Broos reason to reward him with a call-up for the upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan.
"I knew it's going to be tough. Whenever you have an injury, it's tough. It can affect you mentally but you have to be strong. I am glad that I had a place to start on the bench when I came back because it's tough to be on the bench at my team, truly speaking. I can say I am fortunate I managed to come back. I knew that if I can play, maybe I can make my way back to Bafana. It's good to be back in the team," Makgopa said during a press conference held at Dobsonville Stadium on Monday afternoon, as Bafana prepare for the final two qualifiers.
After naming his squad last week for the final two qualifiers, Broos mentioned that there will always be a place in the national team for Makgopa. The Belgian clearly believes in the striker's ability and it's for that reason Makgopa will do whatever he can to repay the faith the coach has in him.
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"The only thing I can say is that you don't want to disappoint such a person who has faith in you. The only thing you need to do is push when you get a chance and do whatever you have to do," the former Baroka FC striker said.
Currently in second place on eight points in Group K, Bafana will take on Uganda away from home on Friday and host South Sudan in Cape Town next Tuesday. Three points will be enough for the team to qualify for AFCON in Morocco next year.
By Tshepang Mailwane
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