Pogba suffered almost the same thing
Billiat’s compatriot, Alois Bunjira, spent many years playing in the PSL for clubs such as Bidvest Wits, Mamelodi Sundowns and FC AK, and is regarded as one of the top foreign strikers to have graced these shores. We put him on the spot regarding the 32-year-old’s situation at Naturena…
On Khama’s Chiefs future
“Some of us have been watching him as fans, so obviously we love him and are always hoping that he’ll get an extension to his contract so that we carry on watching him playing for Amakhosi. So, if I’m talking from that angle, I’d love to see him getting another contract. But as a football person myself, I also look at the situation. I’m not the coach, I’m not the team… I think they are the ones that can gauge to see if he delivered on what was expected from him. It’s just like the Cristiano Ronaldo story. I still want him at Manchester United, I think he can still do the job, but the coach is thinking otherwise. These are always tricky situations. But I’d love for him to extend his contract and as Zimbabweans, we believe that he can still play at the highest level. But at the end of the day, it’s about the club and the coach, whether they believe he’s still got the value they are looking for. You know what, he’s a crowd-puller as well, no doubt. An entertainer. He’s a got a big constituency as far as fans are concerned, so he is a big brand for Chiefs. So, I think he’s still good value for Chiefs in general.”
On whether he’d be surprised if he’s let go
“Remember when I was at Wits, those days you could already feel that the contract extensions were now one-year contracts after you turned 30, 31. So, sometimes when players get on the wrong side of 30, clubs start having a negative attitude towards them, so it’s possible. I don’t know Arthur Zwane that well as a person, I don’t know what exactly his preferences are, but himself having played into his 30s as well, I’m sure that he’s someone who appreciates that even players on the wrong side of 30 can still deliver. But I’m not sure about his stance. So, if that happens, I won’t be surprised, yes, but I still believe he has it. But coaches are different. He has worked with him, so he’s the one who knows at what level Khama is delivering on what he expects him to do. If the coach comes out and says, ‘He’s not doing A, B and C that I always want him to do’ or, ‘He’s not giving me the output that I expect from him’, from a football person perspective, I’d understand.”
On whether he’s seen Billiat’s best at Chiefs
“Hmmm… to be honest, I think he did great at Sundowns. At Chiefs, yes, in patches, but I also thought injuries disturbed him a little bit. It’s been stop-start, stop-start. There’s also been too much pressure. After coming back from injury, everyone wanted him to perform. The stories that were written and people talking that he’s earning too much money, he must deliver… you know, at the end of the day, he is a human being, he has feelings. Psychologically, it always affects a footballer. I’ve seen footballers that have gone for big money… like (Paul) Pogba, he suffered almost the same thing, that, ‘You were bought for 100 million, so
perform!’ Even if you’re performing, people don’t see, they want to see something outrageous week in, week out because of the money, but football doesn’t work like that. Football is not directly proportional to the money that you were bought for or are earning. You’re earning more than R500 000, so every week you must score a hat-trick? It doesn’t happen! Someone who’s earning even R5 000 a month can actually win you the game ahead of footballers like that. So, I think because of the money, people might think he hasn’t played the best football at Chiefs. I still think he’s played very good football, although I say his career at Chiefs has been a little bit blighted by injuries, but when he’s been on form he’s delivered. Just like at Sundowns. The only difference is that at Sundowns there were other players that were chipping in and they were winning trophies. It amplifies his contribution, you know, because they were winning trophies, and when you are winning trophies, everybody is uplifted and everything is amplified. Now if you play well and you don’t win anything, your performance is quickly forgotten, and some people think, ‘Ah, he’s not good enough.’ But I still believe that with those kind of performances that he put up, if Chiefs were winning things, he’d be seen as having done well.”