Onslaught on Billiat continues

Sport
BY FORTUNE MBELE THE onslaught on Warriors striker Khama Billiat has resumed after former South Africa midfielder Linda Buthelezi claimed that the Kaizer Chiefs forward has not lived up to expectation and should leave the Soweto giants. Billiat has missed a big part of the season owing to injury. Buthelezi (51) played for South Africa’s […]

BY FORTUNE MBELE

THE onslaught on Warriors striker Khama Billiat has resumed after former South Africa midfielder Linda Buthelezi claimed that the Kaizer Chiefs forward has not lived up to expectation and should leave the Soweto giants.

Billiat has missed a big part of the season owing to injury.

Buthelezi (51) played for South Africa’s big three, Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates in the 1990s and also featured for Jomo Cosmos and SuperSport United in a career that spanned over 10 years.

Buthelezi told the South African media that he was not happy with Billiat who he claims has not lived up to his billing at the South African giants.

Buthelezi wants the striker shipped out to make way for young blood.

“Billiat must go. He is doing nothing for us. I am a Chiefs person; he must go. I don’t think Chiefs signed him because they wanted to invest in him in a sense of selling him overseas. If that was the case, we would have seen it by now. We can see from far that we invested in him so that he would score goals for us. That didn’t happen. So he must just go … the option they have on him means nothing. An option is not an agreement, it is a recommendation. It means nothing,” Buthelezi said.

Billiat joined Kaizer Chiefs in 2018 on a three-year contract with an option for another term and as his stay comes to end, he has become a subject of a transfer move with links to Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Zamalek.

Buthelezi reckons that Chiefs should not renew Billiat’s contract.

“I don’t think he will be signed for another season because he gave us nothing ever since he arrived. It’s not like he will be missed. What we need are good defenders and also someone who will score goals for us. It’s not like we don’t have such players in this country. If you go to Baroka, they play good football, they have talented boys there, even Black Leopards have good players there. You can sign a few of them here and they will be very serious once they get here,” he said.

He added: “You can say they are leaking goals and they are in the relegation zone, but even (Jomo) Cosmos had good players, but they were relegated. You don’t only invest by paying someone; it also depends on the returns. We don’t have Billiat’s returns. So he must leave so that we can promote a few youngsters. The coach must be allowed to sign three or four players of his choice and add another three from development.”

Only recently, another Kaizer Chiefs legend and Billiat’s compatriot Robson Muchichwa said the star’s contract talks might be affected by incessant injuries while another club legend Absalom Thindwa urged the Warriors’ man to consider options on offer carefully before rushing a decision about his future.

In March, Amakhosi coach Gavin Hunt indicated that Billiat is still in his plans.

Billiat has been affected by relentless injuries, which have seen him on the sidelines most of the time and he is currently down with a leg injury suffered in January and aggravated a few weeks ago.

He had, however, been called up by the Warriors’ technical team, trusting the player would be fit for the World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Ethiopia, which have been moved to September.

Follow Fortune on Twitter @FortuneMbele