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- Radiopane plays at Cape Town Spurs on loan
- Mpondo believes it is a mistake
- Ex-Downs striker justifies his sentiments
WHAT HAPPENED: Ex-Masandawana striker Mpondo aired his opinion regarding Pirates forward Radiopane's loan deal to Cape Town Spurs.
The 59-year-old believes it was a mistake for the Sea Robbers to let the youngster leave, insisting he could have made a positive impact at the club.
The former Brazilian believes Radiopane and Kermit Erasmus's partnership would have been effective for Bucs and has since blamed the management for letting the youngster leave.
WHAT HE SAID: "I think the problem at Pirates this season is management," Mpondo said as quoted by This is Football Africa. "Instead of them promoting a young Radiopane, they just opened the checkbook and went to sign Eva Nga and where is he now?
"Why did they sign Nga when there’s Radiopane? Now for the time for management to look at the young players from the Pirates MDC team. What is the purpose of the MDC if we don’t end up using them on the senior side?
"They should have not loaned Radiopane out to Spurs. I believe that Pirates should have twinned Erasmus and the young Radiopane up front together. Because that’s how the young ones gain experience when you mix them with the senior players.
"If Erasmus decides to retire, who’s going to fill the space? There is no one. They are going to have to go and buy another striker. But if Radiopane was there, he was going to learn something from Erasmus. Radiopane is for the future, even for Bafana Bafana."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Radiopane scored 24 goals in the 2021/22 Diski Challenge campaign and was voted the Player of the Season.
The 20-year-old played four PSL games for Bucs before the management decided to send him on loan to gain more experience.
Bienvenu Eva Nga and Ndumiso Mabena were some of the players signed to sharpen the otherwise blunt Pirates' attacking department. However, things have not gone as planned as the team struggled in front of the goal.
Recently, they signed Cameroon international Marou Souaibou hoping to get more goals in the second half of the season.
IN TWO PICTURES:
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Backpagepix.WHAT NEXT: Pirates will hope to get maximum points when they host Stellenbosch at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday.
