Is Khama Billiat ready to turn the corner for Kaizer Chiefs?

JOHANNESBURG. — Kaizer Chiefs’ Zimbabwean attacker Khama Billiat, together with his former Mamelodi Sundowns teammate Keagan Dolly, spearheaded Amakhosi’s 4-0 win over Chippa United in the South African Dstv Premiership football match at FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.

When the Zimbabwean international arrived at Naturena four seasons ago from Masandawana, expectations were high, but he’s never fully delivered

Billiat had been in sensational form for Sundowns in the last few years he spent at the Tshwane club.

But despite still being in the prime of his career, his stats - goals and assists - dipped substantially after signing for the Glamour Boys.

To illustrate that: in his last three seasons with Downs, he scored 33 goals and created 31 assists. In his three seasons prior to the current one with Chiefs, Billiat netted only 17 goals and made 18 assists, a little more than half his turnover in Pretoria. (He’s now added two goals and two assists in the new season).

Chiefs and indeed most fans of the game around the country would likely agree that there’s a better player in Billiat than the one we’ve seen over the past two seasons.

It’s certainly been a frustrating wait for Amakhosi fans who have watched a player miss chances in the black and gold of Amakhosi which he used to gobble up for Sundowns.

In this respect, there is good reason for optimism after Billiat’s sparkling performance against the Chilli Boys.

He showed great energy, pace and determination to win the ball and set up Dolly to score the opener.

A clever through ball from the former Ajax Cape Town forward then led to Dolly making it 2-0 on the half-hour mark.

The best was yet to come though as Billiat finished sublimely in the 70th minute, having timed his run well to latch onto a clever through ball from Dolly.

It was the manner in which Billiat finished that suggested he’s on the path to regaining his confidence. When too often in the past two seasons we’ve seen Billiat fluff such opportunities, this time it was the opposite as he showed great composure and technique from a tight angle to reverse a low shot into the far corner, leaving Chippa United keeper Ismail completely beaten. There was no hesitation or doubt — Billiat looked like he believed he was going to score, and he did so in fine style.

In front of goal, it’s often down to fine margins whether a player finds the net or not, and mentality usually plays a big part.