Ouaddou hails Bucs’ forgotten man: ‘He was fantastic!’
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Orlando Pirates striker Evidence Makgopa. Photo : Philip Maeta/Gallo Images
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Ouaddou hails Bucs’ forgotten man: ‘He was fantastic!’
Oct 26, 2026 – 08:07 am
By Siya Ndlela
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has delivered his verdict on striker Evidence Makgopa, who scored a brace as the Buccaneers secured progress into the CAF Champions League group stages with a win against African Stars.
The Sea Robbers advanced to the group stages of the CAF Champions League with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Namibian champions African Stars in their second preliminary round, second-leg clash at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Friday evening, securing a dominant 5-0 aggregate win.
Abdeslam Ouaddou’s charges asserted control early on and opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Thapelo Mokobodi managed to get behind the defensive line and tucked in a cross from Simphiwe Masilela.
The Buccaneers doubled their advantage right before the interval when striker Evidence Makgopa found the back of the net in the 45th minute. Fresh off the restart, halftime substitute Mpho Padime extended the lead to 3-0 in the 46th minute with an immediate clinical strike, before Makgopa capped off a stellar individual performance by completing his brace in the 77th minute to wrap up a comprehensive display for the Soweto giants.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, Ouaddou reflected on giving the forward his chance.
“Regarding Evidence, you know, his last regular game was last season, and we wanted to give him the opportunity today, and I think he took it, he was just fantastic,” Ouaddou remarked.
The Moroccan tactician was highly impressed by the forward’s work rate against Namibian champions African Stars, adding, “He was moving everywhere. He took the space. I was happy.”
“Something that I told him to improve on was to hold the ball between the lines as a wall player, and he allowed us to play some layoff and to find the third man.”
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This came as a huge boost for Makgopa, who had been sidelined for the current campaign due to a prolonged injury layoff.
His brace in the 4-0 routing (5-0 on aggregate) gives Ouaddou a welcome selection headache alongside fellow fit-again strikers like Boitumelo Radiopane, Yanela Mbuthuma, Sebastian Pedersen, and Sifiso Luthuli.
The commanding victory safely seals Pirates’ passage into the lucrative CAF Champions League group stages, which Ouaddou notes will key into his long-term plans for squad management.
The Sea Robbers will now quickly turn their focus back to domestic football as they host PSL newcomers Milford FC in the Carling Knockout Cup round of 16 on Tuesday at 19:00
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