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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
IN the year that he is having a fairy tale debut season at big spending South African Premiership side Mamelodi Sundowns, talented Zimbabwe international Khama Billiat has revealed that he is fulfilling a dream by being playing for the Brazilians.Billiat joined Sundowns at the beginning of the 2013-14 season, arriving from Ajax Cape Town as Sundowns beat their old rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates for the Warriors forward’s signature.
The former Aces Youth Academy midfielder is also highly rated by Sundowns’ former Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane.
Billiat, who had earlier been hoping of a move to Europe, eventually settled for Sundowns where he has been one of the star attractions in
Super Diski because of his sublime skills.
The pencil-slim winger, who enjoys his game operating from either flank or through the middle, is currently back home to be with family and friends for a short festive season break away from the South African Premiership demands.
Billiat, one of 16 new arrivals at Sundowns at the start of the 2013-14 season, yesterday told The Herald about his first year at Sundowns and revealed his happiness “at fulfilling one of my biggest dreams’’.
“I have always dreamt of playing for Mamelodi Sundowns, it’s one of the biggest clubs in South Africa and they have got a lot of ambitions too and I give credit to my family, friends and my teammates. Sundowns are a big very club with a lot of ambitions but I feel I have settled down well and faster than I thought I would.
“I still have a very long way to go but I am happy with the progress I have made,’’ Billiat said.
Despite getting a lot of rave reviews from the South African media and his coach Mosimame, Billiat maintains that he is still to reach his full potential, promising the Sundowns family that “there is still a lot more to come’’.
“I am still very young and I would say there is still a lot that I can do and I am working hard to take my game to another level. It is not going to be easy but I am taking time to work things up’’.
Billiat also revealed that his first training session as a Sundowns player and debut for the Brazilians would stand out as the best moments of his stay at the Pretoria club at the moment.
“The very first time that I went to train with them was like a dream come true for me. At first I couldn’t believe it was happening.
“I have always wished to play for the club and wearing their jersey and when I wore it for the first time, and being part of the Sundowns family, is something that I will always remember and cherish, it will always be in my memories,’’ Billiat said.
Billiat has also become an integral part in a Sundowns team where competition for places is very stiff and unlike at Ajax Cape Town, the Warriors forward has constantly found himself being assigned different roles at the Brazilians.
“At Sundowns things are a bit different, every game has a different system and one moment I am asked to operate from the left wing, the right wing or I can find myself in the middle at times but I take all that as a positive move because it is helping me to learn different things all the time.
“I would say I enjoy playing anywhere although scoring goals makes me feel highly motivated but I also like to create goals for teammates’’.
His coach Mosimane has complained about opposite players “deliberately trying to injure Billiat’’ and the Sundowns forward insists there has been no let up from his markers.
“It is a bigger challenge that I am facing because every game I play I get kicked at a lot more times than would be normal, on some occasions I get kicked at 17 times in a match.
“Sometimes I try not to go down when kicked at but in some cases it is so bad. But I have not let that stop me and in fact I am using it to motivate myself and I always try to find new tricks in order to survive the tackles’’.
Khama also paid tribute to veteran midfielder and one of the longest serving players at Sundowns Esrom Nyandoro for being an inspirational and guiding figure at the Brazilians.
“Having fellow Zimbabweans at the club like Esrom, Peter (Ndlovu) and Cuthbert (Malajila) helps because we know that we are away from home and we always encourage each other to work harder.
“These guys have been brotherly to me and we have a family scenario, we talk a lot but I must say Esrom has really been helpful. He knows the club very well and he is always advising us on how to go about things.
“I have also come to admire Cuthbert’s work ethic and at times I even wonder where he gets his energy from. I actually envy him.
“He has been very supportive of me on the field and I just want to be part of his success and I will do all I can to help him get the goals, after all he is a good finisher’’.
Billiat, however, said the top priority at Sundowns at the moment was to wrestle the championship title from old enemies Kaizer Chiefs.
“As a club, the main target is to win the league championship and at least two cups and I think we have the quality to do that and we just have to keep working hard to achieve that target’’.
Having made his Super Diski debut with the Urban Warriors, Billiat also spoke about the Warriors who will be based in Cape Town for the African Nations Championships finals and reckoned Ian Gorowa’s will virtually be at home in the Mother City.
“I have no doubt that our team can go all the way at the CHAN tournament, I watched their performance at the Cosafa Cup in Zambia and if we pick it up from there we can even lift the Cup.
“I think we are playing nice football and we have very good players who now that CHAN provides them with a big chance to get big contracts if they do well.
“There are a lot of Zimbabweans in Cape Town who have been there for a long time and some have not come back home very often because of the distance and this is their chance to watch their national team live in action,’’ Billiat said.
Online Reporter