We don’t know what the key reasons are
rst of all, I must point out that ama is an outstanding player d sometimes the best of plays in the world go through a bad tch. It is very difficult to point t what the real reasons would be r what he is going through at this ery moment. We could be analyzng his performance as per when e came to Kaizer Chiefs, the role that he played, and I think that he was a catalyst at some stage where his coach (Giovanni Solinas) even bowed down to him. So, he was a king at the time and, obviously, when you are performing well, you are everyone’s favourite, but when things don’t go well for you, then it’s a different story altogether. People have started to criticise him, but in say-
ing that, he has been key in ensuring that the team has been able to collect points by playing a role in the team’s attack. He has contributed, not to the extent that we would like him to, but we can’t say that he has done absolutely nothing for the team. Like I said earlier, if we had to assume what the reasons are for his dip in form, then we are going to come up with a list of what could have happened. We don’t know what the key reasons are. It could be social, it could be a case where he is physically or mentally fatigued because he played in a team that was involved in playing in Africa and we all are aware of the number of matches that are played, it could be the technical changes at Chiefs – there are a number of things and we must remember that Khama isn’t a robot. He is a human being and he is going to go through rough patches. We can’t say now that he is a bad player. He can’t be a bad player overnight! Let’s give him a chance. I mean, he has had a few games where he didn’t pull his weight; average games, according to his standards. You must understand that he isn’t a team on his own; he is an individual and he needs the assistance from his teammates. A typical example would be the combination between him, Leonardo Castro and Keagan Dolly at Mamelodi Sundowns where their understanding was impeccable. That’s something that needs to be found at Chiefs, but I believe that the coach will find that balance soon. Some have pointed out that the praise that he previously received from Giovanni Solinas could have gone to his head, but maybe that was what that the coach felt was the way to motivate him and get him to perform. He can only be as good as the players around him, so if the players around him aren’t going to give him the quality service that he needs, then how can we expect him to be at his peak? It’s a team effort and I think it is a bit unfair that we are constantly jumping down his throat. Like I said, his performance depends on who is playing around him and, as a team, when they find their combinations, then we are going to see the best of Billiat again.”