Khama revered and ridiculed

JOHANNESBURG — Khama Billiat is heading for arguably his worst season in the Absa Premiership and apart from injuries hampering his form, there have been questions about the player’s mentality.

Online/Sports Reporter
While Samir Nurkovic has been consistently hitting the back of the net for Kaizer Chiefs; Billiat scoring just once in the entire 2019/20 campaign led the Amakhosi fans to question the reason for the Zimbabwean’s poor form, suggesting that the player might not suit coach Ernst Middendorp’s current system.

Billiat has made just 16 appearances in all competitions for Chiefs this season, missing the entire month of January’s fixtures due to a hamstring injury.

Speaking to the Siya crew this week, former Kaizer Chiefs striker, Mark Williams was of the opinion that maybe Billiat and Middendorp may not be seeing eye-to-eye and the player’s mentality may be affecting his form.

“If I am the CEO and the boss of Kaizer Chiefs and I pay almost a billion for somebody and he is not playing, I am going to be a bit frustrated and would ask the coach, why isn’t that one of my most expensive players that I am paying R800 000 to a R1 million a month, is not playing?

“So meaning that the investment that the club is doing is not good because the coach and the player don’t see eye-to-eye. Is it because of Billiat’s mentality? Because we all know, at the end of the day, Billiat is a good player if he is fit and his mind is right,” he added.

The Warriors attacker was inexplicably left out of some of Kaizer Chiefs’ key matches this season particularly the Soweto derby where Middendorp revealed that the star reacted with anger at being named only on the substitutes bench.

While he has been receiving the stick in his home league, by contrast, his talents were celebrated on the continent with CafOnline naming him as one of the best dribblers in Africa.

Billiat has built a reputation for being one of the best dribblers, not only in the PSL but on the African continent too. As such, Caf recently featured the Zimbabwean as one of their “Wizards” due to some of his most dazzling displays in the Caf Champions League.

When Mamelodi Sundowns were crowned champions of Africa in 2016, Billiat wreaked havoc in the competition as he solidified his status as one of Africa’s top dribblers.

The skilful attacker was reportedly on the radar of Egyptian giants Al Ahly last year. However, no move materialised

That being said, Caf’s official Twitter account recently featured a “Wednesday Wizard” compilation video of Billiat’s best dribbles for the club and country.