Vusumuzi Dube
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
DESPITE their contracts with Kaizer Chiefs expiring on Wednesday, the Zimbabwean duo of Khama Billiat and Willard Katsande continue to gain more votes as they remain in the Amakhosi starting lineup for the Carling Black Label Cup.
With just over a month to go before Chiefs and Orlando Pirates square off in the preseason Soweto showdown on 1 August, voting figures released on Monday show that Billiat has now received 71 093 votes and has further cemented his place in the Amakhosi starting lineup for the Carling Black Label Cup. A week ago, Billiat was on 53 071, which means he has gained 18 022 votes.
Katsande, who stormed into the starting lineup last week now has 31 167 votes, up from 22 212 he had when he made it into the first eleven. The 35-year old Katsande started and finished the two matches against Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco in the Confederation of African Football Champions League semifinals as Chiefs won 1-0 on aggregate to book a place in the continent’s most prestigious club competition for the first time.
When he stepped onto the FNB Stadium turf on Saturday, Katsande made his 325th appearance for Chiefs. He has equaled Zimbabwean compatriot Tinashe Nengomasha’s record for the foreign player who has played the most number of games for Amakhosi.
Billiat (30) is the third most voted for player in this year’s Carling Black Label Cup. Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune is the most popular player with 120 189 votes, up from 91 494 he had last week. Khune is followed by Serbian striker Samir Nurković who has been voted for 114 646 times, an increase from the 84 412 votes he had received a week ago.
Malawian striker, Gabadinho Mhango has the most votes for Orlando Pirates with 68 069, followed by another foreigner, Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Ofori on 59 639 while Bafana Bafana striker Zakhele Lepasa is third with 59 016. There is still no sign of Zimbabwean Terrence Dzvukamanja in the Pirates starting lineup. Dzvukamanja found the going tough in his debut season for the Sea Robbers after joining them from the now defunct Bidvest Wits in September last year.
In the 2019 Carling Black Label Cup, Billiat was the only Zimbabwean who made it into the starting lineup when he made his debut appearance in the popular pre-season Soweto showdown. Billiat joined Chiefs from Mamelodi Sundowns in 2018 but had to wait for 2019 to make his debut in the Carling Black Label Cup. In 2018, the Carling Black Label Cup did not take place because of the Fifa World Cup in Russia. Owners of the Carling Black Label brand, AB InBev had one of the its products, Budweiser sponsor the World Cup.
Last year, the Carling Black Label Cup did not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s Carling Black Label Cup is taking place at the Orlando Stadium, with the date also changed from 31 July to 1 August. It is the first time that the match between the Soweto giants is not taking place at the FNB Stadium. The shift was necessitated by the need to avoid a clash with a Springboks versus the British and Irish Lions encounter at FNB Stadium on 31 July.
While fans will not be allowed into Orlando Stadium, organisers have given the supporters of the two teams even more powers to influence the game.
Fans will this year not only get to choose the line ups, they will also get to decide on the captain of their respective team on the day, the formation to be used, who takes the first penalty to be awarded to their team during the game, make live substitutions on Twitter and also choose the Man of the Match.
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Bongani Ndlovu