Radiopane made his long-awaited return during Pirates' emphatic 3-0 victory over AmaZulu FC in a Betway Premiership clash at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

The young forward featured as a second-half substitute, replacing Yanela Mbuthuma, who has recently been preferred in the striking role. Pirates secured maximum points thanks to goals from Mbuthuma, Oswin Appollis, and Relebohile Mofokeng, a result that propelled the Soweto giants to the summit of the standings.

The Buccaneers now sit on 58 points from 25 matches, overtaking Mamelodi Sundowns, who trail by two points but have two games in hand due to their CAF Champions League commitments.

With five matches remaining in the title race, Radiopane's return provides a timely boost. The Pirates academy product has endured a frustrating campaign, restricted to just five appearances and one assist due to injury setbacks and inconsistent form. In his absence, Evidence Makgopa and Mbuthuma have led the line, contributing five league goals each.

Speaking after the match, Ouaddou revealed that Radiopane's inclusion was both a reward for his hard work and a tactical decision by the technical team.

"I think it's a choice from the technical staff [to leave out Makgopa]. Radiopane has been working for a long time to come back. If you remember, just before going to the AFCON break, he played against the All Stars team and he scored," said Ouaddou.

"He did a good performance, he's giving his best in training, we thought that it was a good moment to give him some playing time, and we managed the group like that. In terms of game-time, it's important for our strikers to be competitive.

"We thought that the fact that Evidence needed maybe 90 minutes, we brought in Radiopane to give him the confidence of being with the team. It's been a long time, and it means a lot for him to know that the technical team is looking at him."

As Pirates push for the title, squad rotation and maintaining competition for places could prove decisive - and Radiopane's return may yet play a key role in the run-in.

Nedbank Cup Round of 32 draw