Abdeslam Ouaddou Comments on Orlando Pirates Star’s Return After Injury Setback
Abdeslam Ouaddou has commented on Boitumelo Radiopane’s return to the squad following his spell on the sidelines through injury, expressing his views after the striker rejoined matchday involvement.
Radiopane finally made his comeback to competitive football when Orlando Pirates delivered a dominant 3–0 win over AmaZulu FC in the Betway Premiership clash at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The attacker was introduced in the second half, coming on in place of Yanela Mbuthuma, who has recently been the first-choice striker for the Soweto club.
Pirates produced a convincing performance, with goals from Mbuthuma, Oswin Appollis, and Relebohile Mofokeng securing all three points. The victory pushed the Buccaneers to the top of the league standings on 58 points after 25 matches.
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The result saw Orlando Pirates overtake Mamelodi Sundowns, moving into first place in what is shaping up to be a tight title race. Sundowns dropped to second with 56 points but still have two games in hand, having played fewer matches due to their CAF Champions League involvement.
With five league fixtures remaining, Pirates’ title push has been strengthened by Radiopane’s return, with the striker expected to offer additional attacking options.
The former academy graduate has struggled to secure regular minutes this season due to injuries and inconsistent form, managing only five appearances across all competitions and registering one assist. In his absence, Evidence Makgopa and Mbuthuma have carried the scoring responsibility, each contributing five league goals.
After the win over AmaZulu, Ouaddou explained that Radiopane’s return to full fitness was the result of sustained effort in training. He also revealed that leaving Makgopa out of the matchday squad was a deliberate tactical decision aimed at giving Radiopane valuable game time.
According to him, Radiopane had been pushing hard for a return, even featuring and scoring in a friendly against All Stars shortly before the AFCON break. Ouaddou noted that his training performances justified the decision to involve him again, stressing the importance of keeping all strikers match-ready and competitive.
He added that Makgopa may have required a full 90 minutes, so the staff opted to introduce Radiopane instead, allowing him to regain confidence and feel reintegrated into the squad after a long absence.
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Source: Briefly News
