Boitumelo Radiopane earned his Orlando Pirates starts with strong training

Radiopane explained that his sustained effort on the training pitch earned him the trust of the technical team.

The 23-year-old opened the campaign as a regular starter under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, featuring in the first three matches as the Buccaneers sought to establish momentum.

His selection, however, drew scrutiny from some quarters, with supporters questioning why he was preferred ahead of established forwards Evidence Makgopa and Tshegofatso Mabasa.

Radiopane, reflecting on that period, said the criticism overlooked the daily commitment required to compete for a place in a squad of Orlando Pirates' calibre.

He stressed that his intensity in training and his adherence to the coaching staff's demands justified his inclusion.

Radiopane's encouraging run in the line-up was curtailed by an untimely injury, which sidelined him for the majority of the first round of the season and halted the progress he had begun to build.

The lay-off, he noted, was particularly frustrating after working hard to establish himself in a competitive attacking unit.

"To answer your question, I think not everyone sees the work that we do at training," said Radiopane on SNAWA on Metro FM.

"It [starting matches] came as a surprise to a lot of people, asking themselves why I'm starting.

"So, people don't understand that everything starts at training but as I always say we always supporting each other in the team.

"Like with Makgopa, he's my friend and we support each other when anyone of us is playing or not playing but also I was disturbed by injuries, I struggled with my hamstring after my third game that's why it took time to come back."