Sunday World (South Africa)

Billiat hits form amid Covid woes

Zimbabwean striker chases 2021/22 PSL scoring honours

- By Xolile Mtshazo

Kaizer Chiefs shocked the sporting fraternity by announcing that 31 of its players and staff members tested positive for Covid-19, as a result, the Chiefs Village, the club’s headquarte­rs in Naturena, south of Johannesbu­rg, has been declared a “no-go area”.

The news comes as a big blow to the Glamour Boys as the team is making inroads towards challengin­g Mamelodi Sundowns for league honours and lies second behind the Brazilians on the log table.

But most pleasing in the Chiefs camp and coach Stuart Baxter is that forward Khama Billiat is gradually bouncing back to form after being plagued by injuries over the past two seasons.

He had an outstandin­g game, scoring a brace when his team beat Swallows 3-1, leading to the firing of coach Brendon Truter, who has since been replaced by Dylan Kerr at the Dube Birds. Billiat has now taken his tally to four league goals and five assists while his partner Keagan Dolly still leads the club’s goalscorin­g stakes with six strikes and three assists in his first season with Chiefs.

Long-serving striker Bernard Parker became the club’s all-time goalscorer with 100 goals after scoring a stunning header and winner when Amakhosi beat Maritzburg United 1-0 last Sunday.

The goal is now in contention for the Fifa Puskas Award that honours a player who has been judged to have score the “most aesthetica­l” goal.

 ?? /Twitter ?? Khama Billiat is gradually bouncing back to form.
/Twitter Khama Billiat is gradually bouncing back to form.

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