Jose Riveiro has revealed the best way DStv Premiership clubs must deal with promising stars like Orlando Pirates’ Evidence Makgopa.
The Spanish coach Jose Riveiro admits that he is impressed by how Orlando Pirates’ Evidence Makgopa is maturing.
Makgopa scored the all-important goal, that the Buccaneers needed to account for the scalp of Kaizer Chiefs in the famed Soweto derby on Saturday at a packed FNB Stadium.
This was his second goal for the DStv Premiership giants in seven matches. He got his first goal albeit on a 2-1 losing cause to Cape Town City, a fortnight ago.
Prior to that, Makgopa had been struggling to score having been the preferred marksman in the absence of Zakhele Lepasa, who was injured.
Lepasa had a blistering start to the 2023/24 campaign after scoring 10 goals in 14 outings in all competitions. But the injury stalled his progression and the lanky Evidence Makgopa was trusted to be the goal-getter.
At some point, the 23-year-old was booed by the insatiable Pirates fans for failing to score at critical moments.
HOW JOSE RIVEIRO DEALS WITH MATURING STRIKER EVIDENCE MAKGOPA
Nevertheless, Jose Riveiro kept faith in him ahead of the Cameroonian duo of Souaibou Marou and Bienvenu Eva Nga.
And as the forward, appears to be hitting the right gears, Riveiro has revealed the best way to deal with budding stars.
“He scored one goal at home and he scored in the derby. It’s going to be there in the books forever. It’s going to be a good record for the boy.
“But in general, I think it doesn’t make so much sense to play a South African player as a striker, 21 or 22 years old, an interesting prospect.
“And I think we have to all protect the young players, to create the proper atmosphere that they can grow. It’s good for South African football, it’s good for the national team.
“We can’t just create an uncomfortable situation for them because we want to see our other favourites. This means we have to support them. Evidence [Makgopa] is doing a very good job. That’s the strategy with him.
“I can’t speak much about him because he is speaking for himself on the field. People have to see everything he does, not only when he is scoring the ball,” added Riveiro.
RELATED STORY: What Jose Riveiro said about supporters booing Evidence Makgopa
