No one wants Billiat!

Former Kaizer Chiefs and Zimbabwean international attacker, Khama Billiat, remains clubless after parting ways with the Naturena-based club at the end of last season. The last we heard from Chiefs on their relationship with the player was that Amakhosi had tabled an offer but were ‘blue-ticked’ by the former Mamelodi Sundowns speedy player, who went under the radar without a trace since then.

News doing the rounds, as first broken by our Siyagobhoza crew last Thursday, is that the Zimbabwean sensation is due to undergo a trial – yes, you heard right, Khama Billiat will be undergoing a trial – at Cape Town City this week. At the time of going to print, the Citizens had not said anything on the proposed move, while the duration of his trial stint remains unknown. What is clear is that coach Eric Tinkler will be using the FIFA break to run the rule over the 33-yearold, who is not getting any younger. Not many would have predicted this being the situation after Billiat parted with Chiefs. In fact, just a mere mention of his name is enough to send shivers down a defender’s spine. Who would have thought that Billiat would remain clubless five months into the season, losing so much football activity? This is no ordinary footballer, but if we are being honest with ourselves, we can’t really claim to not have seen it coming. It is reported that Chiefs wanted to impose a salary cut in their new offer to their former talisman and that is what broke the camel’s back in their dealings. He rejected the new offer, but truth be told, Chiefs were within their rights to cut his salary, which is said to have been one of the team’s conditions to extend their relationship with the Zimbabwean. Unfair labour practice, someone might think, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The last time we saw Khama Billiat playing consistently well was when he was still at Sundowns! He showed glimpses of what he was capable of at Chiefs but certainly not consistently enough to warrant a further extension from the five years that he spent at the club.

Could it be that Billiat was ill-advised to ignore Chiefs’ offer, because he felt he deserved more than they were willing to give him? At the end of the day, Chiefs have not really got a return from their investment in the former PSL Footballer of the Season. As much as he’s the darling of the club’s legions of faithful, football is a business at the end of the day. Maybe he should have stayed at Chiefs, take a salary cut for a year, and relaunch his career. He’s been injury-plagued, which has contributed immensely to his limited game-time, and that’s the last thing any footballer wants to go through. With all due respect, Billiat didn’t give enough to Chiefs for him to control the negotiations. Yes, injuries have been one of the reasons for him not living up to expectations all the time. That’s the sad position for any player coming to the end of their contract because your bargaining power diminishes as you have no point of reference. Also, when there is no outside interest to fight off, the club will always be in a better position in the negotiations than the player because it is the latter that needs the former the most. That’s why Khama didn’t get what he felt he was worth because this is a case of supply and demand. You simply stand no chance of dictating the rules of engagement when you’ve not done enough to attract others’ interest and not even covered yourself in glory at your club.

Maybe the best thing for Billiat was to accept Chiefs’ offer and use it as a step ladder to resuscitate his career. By so doing, you get a massive platform with almost everyone watching and keeping a close eye on you, increasing your chances of being seen. That is how you regain people’s trust and belief. These days, teams are not going to pay exorbitant fees on just everyone because they do their due diligence. Unlike back in the day, where money was thrown around, things have changed and even the economy doesn’t allow for reckless spending. It is even more so when there is no counter interest in the services of the player in question, the club will push the asking price as low as possible because they have all the cards. Once again, once there is more than one team keeping tabs on the player, all the power shifts towards him and he can go to the highest bidder. However, with no interest, the roles are then reversed. No one dares to touch anyone with a questionable track record these days because people put out their feelers before committing to anything. Any recurring injury or questionable lifestyle gets flagged because teams, once again, are now doing their homework more than in the past and the results are there for everyone to see.

That Billiat didn’t enjoy enough game-time at Chiefs in the last two seasons raises eyebrows and it comes as no surprise that no one has jumped for his services. Anyone who thinks of engaging the talented Zimbabwean will first take a closer look at his statistics and be alarmed by his limited gametime. They will start asking questions because of his inactivity, which is why it would have been important for Billiat to accept Chiefs’ offer and relaunch himself for a season before looking for a new club, having taken full advantage of the opportunity to prove his worth. Some of us are not surprised to know that Billiat is still clubless after such a long time. However, even the fact that he’s been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and Cape Town City is further proof that there have not been enough potential suitors. Khama Billiat scheduled to touch down in the Mother City this week to undergo trials at coach Tinkler’s club tells you all you need to know because, ordinarily, this is a player teams should be battling it out for in the transfer market.

One really hopes Billiat gets a new home soon, reestablishes himself and reclaims his position as one of the best players in the country. There are a number of teams that should be looking into bringing him on board, but he needs to prove himself. Even humbling himself enough to undergo a trial is a good indication of his intentions. This is an experienced and quality campaigner with so much still to offer to the Beautiful Game, he shouldn’t be lost to the game he loves so much and the time is running out. You have it all to do to prove your worth and that you are still the quality footballer that we know you to be. You have to prove that you are fully fit and ready to go again. Prove that you are up to the challenge and that whoever signs you won’t regret bringing you on board. All the best with your new club search, Gaucho!