adminAjax Cape Town forward being installed as the Urban Warriors talisman and expected to help them land the Absa Premiership title.
Billiat has become the main man at Ajax Cape Town following the departure of South African youth international Thulani Serero for Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands at the start of the 2011-12 season.
The former Aces Youth Academy midfielder has so far stepped up to the act and according to the latest issue of South African’s top selling soccer magazine, Kick Off, Billiat is ready for the challenge.
Billiat, who has fast established himself as one of the key members for Zimbabwe’s Warriors as they seek to fight for a places at the 2013 African Cup of Nations and 2014 World Cup, also told the magazine of his telepathy with Serero and of his disappointment at narrowly losing the Premiership title to Orlando Pirates last season.
The magazine also briefly tracked Billiat’s roots, and the tough environment he grew up which the player himself believes has motivated him to become a responsible figure.
“Mufakose is a popular township in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare. It’s notorious for churning out hardcore criminals and drunkards and the impoverished neighbourhood also has thriving marijuana market.
“However, enveloping the controversies attached to this old kasie (suburb) is its ability to regularly provide the football world with genuinely talented footballers that always illuminate stadiums.
“From the legendary Moses Chunga to the late duo of Stanley Ndunduma and Joel Shambo, Mufakose has always stood out as a breeding ground of classy talent. The latest revelation from ‘Mfombi’ is Khama Billiat, the young Ajax Cape Town attacker who has left an increasing number of opponents floored with his trademark bag of tricks, mobility and intelligence.
“Billiat whose parents are of Malawian origin is from a footballing family with his late uncle, Cheche having been a household name at CAPS United in the 1990s. Khama was fortunate to evade the ills that have ruined the lives of many youngsters from his neighbourhood – after being spotted in his early teens and taken in at Aces Academy, he was afforded the chance to complete his high school education in the suburbs at Lord Malvern on a football funded scholarship.
Just over five years later, Khama proudly stands as one of the youngsters faced with carrying the hopes of the Zimbabwe national team for the next decade, along with close friend Knowledge Musona,” wrote Kick Off.
Billiat who had a brief stint with CAPS United also spoke about his early years.
“Growing up, life was never a bed of roses, but that is what is actually encouraging and motivating me to respect my job now,” said Billiat.
At Ajax the 21-yer-old is providing the kind of thrill that Serero offered last season, though there are still defects in his game. And he is honest about those shortcomings. “My decision-making tends to let me down at times because it always happens in the flash of the moment. I am also aware that my crossing ability and finishing still need work, but these are all things that I am working on at training every day,” Billiat confessed.
After an encouraging start to his career at Ajax in his debut season with nine goals – missing out on his target of 10 by one – Billiat is now looking towards his future with real optimism.
“I think I had an okay first season. I was also inspired by winning the Rookie of the Year award at the club. The worst thing about last season was losing the league on the last day. “Though finishing second looks nice from far, the way it happened hurt because we could have been champions . . . a chance came along that we could win the League and then we ended up with nothing. “But then, now that I am in my second year here, with the combinations gelling, we will enjoy more of our football. I think the experience of losing the league on the last day has taught us to be more aggressive right from the start”.
The Warriors midfielder insists that while Foppe de Haan has made way for Maarten Stekenburg in the dugout, his own game is improving thanks to the new coach’s personal touch.
“Maarten has been tremendous in showing me how to improve when I don’t have the ball. I now know how to close down the opponent right away and be very useful in the team when we don’t have the ball,” he says, while noting the input of fellow countryman and assistant coach Wilfred Mugeyi.
“He (Mugeyi) has also been influential and always gives me extra training, plus the fact that we speak the same language is vital. Even after games he always shows us what we did right and wrong,” Billiat said.
In truth, Billiat has gone about business this season with renewed freedom, and the result is that he is able to offer so much more with and without the ball for the Cape Town side.
“Playing with freedom is a style that I have always had, which is motivated by the coach. If the coach likes what I do then I will do it better. To me football must be enjoyed, which is why I express myself the way I do. When I am on the field I don’t think about impressing people, I just want to do my job in a way that benefits my team. “Also, for me there is no easy game. I have realised that at times players tend to have a mentality of wanting to only lift their game in the big games . . . to me every game is a big game. It is dangerous to approach games without that mentality because you will never be consistent, which is what I aim for. Your performance rises with each good game played and not one good showing in a big game,” Billiat explains.
Serero is not the only friend that Billiat has seen leave for Europe over the past transfer window – with close pal Musona, a classmate at secondary school, also joining German Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
“I know it demands a lot to be there (overseas) so I have to work even more. The progress that Knodgy has made is what also keeps me focused as I also talk to him every day, just like Thulani,” he says.
Billiat is not shy to state what his mission is for this season, which he believes should also lay the foundation for his own move abroad.
“I have to be one of the top players in the league, plus I want to be in the team that wins the league and the cups. I also have interest in being the PSL Player of the Season and top scores because that is what will make a move to Europe happen,” he says.
“I know that getting these things demands a lot but having seen how Serero and Knodgy did it last season, I feel I can follow suit. Last season when the chance to play came things happened, so this season I want to make it happen all the time,” Billiat said.
Online Reporter