SAZI HADEBE | Jury is out on whether Billiat deserves more time at Amakhosi

I have always been a big fan of Khama Billiat. When he was at his best, Billiat reminded me a lot of Nelson Sunduza Tutu, the Kaizer Chiefs legend better known as Teenage Dladla or simply Botsotso in his heyday. 

I grew up idolising Dladla for his ability to influence a game — a winger who could not only take on his markers to provide pint-point passes or crosses but actually scored a lot of goals for Amakhosi in the late 1970s and almost the whole of the 1980s, when the now 68-year-old was in his prime. 

I’m sure when Chiefs signed Billiat as a free agent from Mamelodi Sundowns three years ago they had a player of Dladla’s calibre in mind. Such was Amakhosi’s yearning to have another Dladla that when Billiat landed at Naturena they immediately handed him the No. 11 jersey, a number that to this day is mainly associated with Dladla at Chiefs. Mind you, this is the same number jersey that was given to Jabu (Pule) Mahlangu, a player who did well to maintain its prestige before he left Amakhosi. 

The question many people could be asking is whether Billiat, who came to Chiefs having won a number of trophies at Sundowns, deserves to be spoken of in the same sentence as Dladla or even Mahlangu. 

When I first saw Billiat at Ajax Cape Town, a club where he spent three years after joining them as a 19-year-old from Zimbabwean outfit CAPS United, I was mesmerised by the ease with which he went past defenders. In that Ajax team of Foppe de Haan, which came to within a point of winning the league title in 2011, Billiat and the likes of Thulani Serero, Lebo Manyama, George Maluleka, Willard Katsande, Brent Carelse and Thulani Hlatshwayo were a joy to watch. It was a team I wished no-one dismantled, but that was just a dream because in the real world of football, things change quickly.

So there were no surprises when Billiat eventually moved to Sundowns in 2013. Billiat was a player destined for the big time and never disappointed at Chloorkop, where he was one of the most influential attackers, winning three league titles, two domestic cups and a Caf Champions League gong in 2016 in the five years he spent with Pitso Mosimane’s team. 

Billiat’s performances at Chiefs can be best described as lukewarm, and injuries, which are hampering his appearances for the club this season, have not helped. 

It was obviously based on these achievements that Amakhosi came calling for the nippy winger’s signature in 2018. The deal Billiat signed with Chiefs was reportedly in the region of R8m a year, making him one of the most highly paid players in the history of the PSL. 

It has been five years since Billiat signed on the dotted line at Chiefs, after he extended the initial three-year contract by two years. What sort of report card would Billiat get after these years at Naturena? 

The 32-year-old’s future is now the subject of speculation, as some argue he doesn’t deserve to get a new deal when his latest contract ends in June.

It doesn’t help that Billiat’s arrival at Naturena coincided with the club’s longest trophy drought. Chiefs have yet to win any silverware since 2015.

Billiat’s performances at Chiefs can be best described as lukewarm, and injuries, which are hampering his appearances for the club this season, have not helped. 

The Zimbabwean’s first season at Chiefs showed he had arrived at a club that put too much hope on him providing goals and leadership. He scored five goals and registered six assists in 26 matches, in a season that saw the club finish ninth. Though Billiat only netted three goals in 21 league matches in his second season, his influence helped push Chiefs for the league title that they only lost in the last few minutes of the 2019-2020 campaign. 

The third campaign was marked by Billiat’s absence on the field as he battled more injuries that resulted in him playing 13 league games and six Champions League matches, scoring one goal in all competitions. 

It was perhaps after the third season that Amakhosi should have gauged whether they were getting full value for their money with Billiat. But desperate to have a big name player as they pushed to revive the club’s fortunes, Billiat was given a further two years without much explanation as to why he deserved a second chance. 

Last season was by far better for Billiat, as he managed to score seven league goals and provided eight assists. The Zimbabwean’s contribution played a huge part in helping his ailing club finish fifth on the log. 

Chiefs’ current campaign has not helped Billiat’s prospects of keeping his spot at Naturena. He’s only featured in nine league games in which he’s provided three assists before suffering a long-term injury. That Chiefs are out of the league race has not helped Billiat and other players including veteran goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, Eric Mathoho, Sifiso Hlanti, Happy Mashiane and Phathutshedzo Nange, whose contracts also end in June. 

Billiat may be part of the wholesale changes that Chiefs need to make at the beginning of next season as they embark on another round of rebuilding the club. Billiat’s age, as could be the case with Hlanti (32), Khune (35) and Mathoho (32), may end his stay at Chiefs. But for me it is what Billiat did in past four and half years that will determine his future at Naturena. The forgettable years will surely remain a blot on what was otherwise a brilliant career. 

It is a pity that Billiat never came close to producing the magic that Dladla once delivered for Amakhosi wearing that famous No. 11. But those judging Billiat will do well to not look at his performance in isolation, considering the teammates and coaches he’s worked with at Naturena.