Evidence Makgopa opens up on Orlando Pirates' biggest problem ahead of MTN8 final against Stellenbosch - 'I am not even worried'

Orlando Pirates forwards have been struggling to score goals this season, but Evidence Makgopa says he is not worried.

None of the four strikers Makgopa himself, Tshegofatso Mabasa, Boitumelo Radiopane and Yanela Mbuthuma has found the back of the net in the eight games the Buccaneers have played so far this term.  

It is a crisis which the Soweto giants face as they prepare to tackle Stellenbosch in Saturday's MTN8 final at Mbombela Stadium.  

“Only time will tell, but I am not even worried,” Makgopa said as per Sowetan Live.  
“I always tell people that before we are competitors, we are brothers. The brotherhood we have in the team makes our job easy.
"I am learning a lot of things from Tshego [Mabasa], Boitumelo and even Mbuthuma, as new as he is in the team, so there's no jealousy among us as strikers," added the former Baroka FC star.  

"We're just a happy bunch of players, willing to help the team achieve its goals.”

In the six appearances he has made across all competitions this season, Makgopa has managed just two assists, while Mabasa has one assist in four matches.  

Radiopane has played four games and supplied just one goal, as Mbuthuma has no assists in the two outings he has been involved in. 

With the PSL transfer window closing on September 22, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou might be forced to go into the market and sign a new forward.  

Previously favoured by Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, even when off form, Makgopa was this time around excluded from the recent 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria. 

That leaves him with a huge task to restore Broos' trust in him and return to the national team.