The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
JUST because he earns a staggering 830 000 rand (about US$53 000) per month and is one of the best-paid players in the DStv Premiership, Khama Billiat is naturally always under the spotlight.
It’s always about figures, statistics and records when it comes to players of his calibre.
Yet the numbers associated with the former Warriors kingpin in his last four seasons at Kaizer Chiefs do not seem to tally with figures he has been earning at the Naturena-based side.
The 31-year-old forward, who was the club’s third most-paid player at Chiefs in the just-ended season, scored eight goals in 27 league appearances, as Amakhosi finished fifth and missed a place in next season’s continental competitions.
All in all, Billiat has scored 17 goals in 87 league appearances for Chiefs since joining the Soweto giants from Mamelodi Sundowns in June 2018.
The former Ajax Cape Town man has a scoring rate of 0.2 goals per match over the last four seasons.
Former Kaizer Chiefs stars like Stanton Fredericks are beginning to question his worth at Amakhosi.
Fredericks thinks the star player was “a bit lucky to survive the chop” at Chiefs, who went on a massive clear-out last week.
“You know, personally, I rate Billiat. I think wherever he plays, that team will be better. I think the only question over Billiat is that when he wants to play, he will play,” Fredericks told Times Live of South Africa on Friday.
The arrival of Billiat’s “partner in crime at Sundowns” Keegan Dolly last season seemed to have revitalised the Zimbabwean, who ended up recording his best season goal tally.
He scored five goals in his first season at Chiefs, netted three during the 2019/2020 campaign and managed just one the following season.
Dolly, who is now Kaizer Chiefs’ best-paid player at R1,45 million (US$94 090) per month, could be the reason why newly-appointed coach Arthur Zwane chose to retain the Zimbabwean.
Billiat, whose contract ends in June 2023, is one of 15 Zimbabwean players who were registered with South African Premiership clubs when the 2021/2022 ended last Monday.
Ageless left-back Onismor Bhasera featured in the last game of the Premiership season when his SuperSport United beat Terrence Dzvukamanja’s Orlando Pirates 2-0 at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria on Monday.
The 36-year-old played 90 minutes in his 28th league appearance for SuperSport, who finished eighth and earned a place in next season’s MTN 8 Cup.
Bhasera’s countryman Kudakwashe Mahachi did not get as much game time and ended up being suspended after his family issues related to alleged child abuse spilled into the public domain.
The 28-year-old winger made eight appearances and just two starts.
He didn’t score in the 281 minutes he played.
Former Warriors goalkeeper George Chigova sat on the bench for the whole season at the club, which fired Zimbabwean coach Kaitano Tembo in April.
Tembo has since been appointed coach by Sekhukhune United FC.
For Warriors defender Devine Lunga, it was a perfect 27th birthday present after he bagged his first championship medal in South Africa, as Mamelodi Sundowns clinched a fifth consecutive league title.
Lunga started for the Brazilians on six occasions and came from the bench in three matches.
The former Chicken Inn left-back had spent three seasons with Golden Arrows before sealing a three-year deal with Sundowns in July 2021.
Ronald Pfumbidzai, now fully recovered from a nagging groin, also completed a move to Chippa in January.
He had a short stint at Royal AM and played eight times for the “Chilli Boys”.
“For someone who was coming from a long lay-off I think it was important for me to get more game time. This is what I got from Chippa in the second half of the season,” Pfumbidzai told The Sunday Mail Sport.
“When I joined Chippa, I had spent about six or seven months on the sidelines due to injury. Even when I briefly moved to Royal AM, I didn’t play because I was still not fit.
“But, thank God Chippa gave me an opportunity and I used it. I really appreciate the game time because as a player all you need is to play more and more games.”
Former Dynamos striker Tawanda Macheke also made a move in January, joining Maritzburg United from Black Rhinos.
He made 12 appearances for the “Team of Choice”, all coming between February and May.
Sekhukhune, who finished 11th, were the team with the biggest Zimbabwean contingent. Veteran keeper Tapuwa Kapini (37) played three times, Willard Katsande (36) had 19 appearances, while Charlton Mashumba and forgotten striker Evans Rusike played nine and six times, respectively.
Both Mashumba and Rusike failed to find the target.
However, Kapini, Rusike and Mashumba were among the 14 players who were offloaded by Sekhukhune in a massive clear-out by the club late on Friday.
Dzvukamanja also had a barren season for sixth-placed Pirates.
The 28-year-old striker started 10 times and was used as a substitute on 15 occasions.
He has struggled to establish himself at Pirates, where he managed one goal in 40 appearances since joining them from Bidvest Wits in 2020.
It was also a bad season for former Warriors number one Elvis Chipezeze, whose team Baroka were relegated from the top-flight.
The goalkeeper conceded 11 goals in six starts and is now pondering his future after spending the last four seasons at Baroka.
It was a different story, however, for the seasoned Washington Arubi, who played 22 times for Marumo Gallants, who finished 10th.
The 36-year-old kept nine clean sheets and conceded 24 times.
Knox Mutizwa, who was a big Golden Boot contender in 2020, is now struggling to get double figures.
He scored six goals in 23 appearances for ninth-placed Arrows and missed out on the MTN8 Cup.
