Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
Scottland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1)3
FC Hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0
KHAMA BILLIAT showed he is in a class of his own with a super show that he underlined with a brace of headers to sink FC Hunters in a one-sided Premiership tie at Rufaro yesterday.
That was only his second start this season after he was selected against Manica Diamonds at Gibbo last Thursday when he also hit the net twice and assisted the third in yet another 3-0 victory.
He was unplayable against a sorry FC Hunters side whose quality was simply no match for the reigning champions.
Billiat, who scored just once in the entire term last year, now leads the scoring charts in the top-flight with four goals after only four match days.
He was unplayable yesterday, expertly heading twice either side of the half-time break, while also playing a huge role in the manufacturing of the third goal as Scottland steam-rolled their bewildered opponents.
The result lifted Mabviravira to second on the log with eight points, four behind leaders CAPS United going into the international break.
FC Hunters, whose composition makes them look more or less like Scottland cousins given most of their players played a key part in the promotion of the team to the PSL, had not been breached coming into this tie after playing three goalless draws in the opening three games.
But they were carved open in brutal fashion, with a Billiat roadshow, ably aided by captain Walter Musona who wrapped up the scoring, and Moses Shidolo, Mthokozisi Msebe and Abubakar Moffat making it look like it was a routine training session.
Everything that Scottland did was up to the point only that they were at times casual to the point of missing hard-to-miss chances with Emmanuel Ziocha and substitute Isakar Gurirab the chief culprits.
Scottland coach Norman Mapeza hailed Billiat for his decisiveness while also heaping praises on the entire team.
“If you look at Khama Billiat, if you look at Knowledge Musona, they never missed one day of pre-season. Khama was there day and night. You can’t just take anything away from him,” said Mapeza.
“The intelligence is there, the smartness, you know, and it’s just a real talent. Just a real talent.”
The signs that FC Hunters would be put to the cleaners had been there right from kick-off.
But the newcomers put up a huge wall for 20 minutes and they even looked like a team that was capable of putting together a surprise counter and remain intact at the back.
They would, however, be made to pay for their lackadaisical play when Shidolo nicked a perfect cross that Billiat headed on for the opening goal.
Despite carrying that slender advantage, Scottland never showed any signs of urgency in their play as they looked so sure that they would put it to bed the way they liked.
Then five minutes after the break, Billiat flushed a header off a Walter Musona in-swinging corner before the latter struck from close range to make the match safe.
FC Hunters coach Nesbert “Yabo” Saruchera admitted the gulf in quality between the two teams was the difference.
“The main difference was quality. Those guys were too superior,” said Saruchera.
“We fought hard. In terms of quality, we couldn’t match. But I think my young boys respected them too much.
“They gave them too much room, but we need to address that.”
