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WITH the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League taking another break to allow the nation to concentrate on the Chan qualifier featuring the Warriors and Chipolopolo in Harare tomorrow, football fans found themselves with little to talk about during the week. The big story has been how new coach Ian Gorowa and his technical team expect the Warriors to rise to the occasion and score a safe lead ahead of the return leg in Zambia.
What makes the match more exciting is that it comes a few weeks after Zambia took the regional crown from us after beating the Warriors 2-0 in the final of the Cosafa tournament held in their backyard.
Now the Warriors will be expected to rise to the occasion and use home advantage to dump Zambia out of the Chan qualifiers, though Zambia remain one of the bogey sides of the Warriors and the nation will need something extra special from the boys to smile come end of day tomorrow.
There was also nothing much coming from South Africa where a host of local boys had gone for trials a few weeks back, although Chicken Inn attacking midfielder, Kudakwashe Mahachi appears to have charmed Supersport and could be moving there in January, according to the South African club.
There were hopes that the likes of in form players in the league like leading scorer Tendai Ndoro and his team mates at Chicken Inn Felix Chindungwe as well as veteran forward Mkhokheli Dube will get jobs down South after going for trials.
There were also hopes that the likes of Partson Jaure and Devon Chafa from Dynamos as well as attacking midfielder Ronald Chitiyo from Monomotapa and FC Platinum striker Donald Ngoma will capitalise on the love for Zimbabwean players across the Limpopo, but nothing has come out of the trials or negotiations to date.
Apart from the Warriors preparations for the crunch match, the big news at home was the parting ways of Dynamos with assistant coach Tonderayi Ndiraya, who media reports said he had fallen out of favour with head coach Kalisto Pasuwa, although the assistant coach had indicated in his letter of resignation that he wanted time to prepare for his examinations set for November.
Perhaps the story of the week was the signing of Warriors attacking midfielder Khama “Khamaldinho” Billiat by South Africa’s richest club, Mamelodi Sundowns from struggling Ajax Cape Town. The move brought to an end speculation and anxiety around the career of the player, one of the bright prospects of Zimbabwean football.
It was evident in the last couple of years that Ajax had become rather too small for his stature, as the 23-year-old had managed to have his stock rising by each passing day, and even got praise from England defender Rio Ferdinand. This was after a friendly match held on 21 July 2012, when Ajax Cape Town held visiting Manchester United to a 1–1 draw. The Manchester United star labelled the young attacking midfielder as an agile and exciting player to watch, with great speed and ball control.
Billiat was literally unknown back home after being taken by the South African club after impressing while playing for Aces Youth Academy in Harare, which had apparently hoped he would shine for Caps United in 2010, but was snapped up by Ajax in August of the same year after spending only three months at the Green Machine.
He has been the top player for the club, but after Sundowns were made to break the bank to get him on board, he has come again under spotlight playing for a much bigger club where competition for starting places is always tough. He joins legendary Peter Ndlovu who is team manager, and players, Esrom Nyandoro and striker Cuthbert Malalija, who was also signed recently. Sundowns had to let go two other Zimbabweans, striker Nyasha Mushekwi who moved to Belgium and Method Mwanjali who was loaned to Mpumalanga Black Aces.
Sundowns were reported to have spent something between R9m and R11 to land the Harare born player, beating rivals Orlando Pirates for his signature.
Nonetheless, Sundowns “rubbished” reports that Billiat joined them for a “ridiculous” transfer fee. Billiat’s much anticipated move was concluded on Thursday evening, with Sundowns player Eleazar Rodgers moving to Cape Town as part of the deal. According to Sundowns’ website, club senior legal and commercial manager Yogesh Singh, “rubbished speculation” about the figure.
“He confirmed that lanky striker Eleazar Rodgers will be moving to Ajax once the club to player agreement has been sealed. Rodgers will join the Urban Warriors on a year-long loan. Reports published on Thursday suggested that the deal for the player had been completed, and an amount of R9 million had been agreed upon.
“It has become regular for media to suck thumbs to determine how much had been paid for players, but Sundowns has over the years maintained that fees agreed are confidential, and does not apply in this case only. The Zimbabwean has been the subject of speculation in the last few months, linking him to a possible move to several clubs. It is an open secret that Billiat has been a target of Sundowns for some years now.”
His move to Sundowns was contrary to speculation from the media down South, which said he was likely to go to Pirates where he would not get too much competition.
But Pirates were unwilling to pay over the top odds, but the had the advantage in that Billiat would rather join them than head to an overcrowded Chloorkop.
KickOff.com had reported that a source close to the midfielder said he was concerned, a move to Sundowns might put the handbrake on a promising career given the sheer volume of players at the club.
Billiat is reportedly happy with what both Pirates and Downs have put on the table, so now it was up to Ajax to decide whether they will accept a lesser offer from Bucs and give the player the option to choose which club he wants to join.
Billiat joins a stars side which recruited over ten internationals during the break. The club recently signed Togolese defender Emmanuel Mathias, Zambian national team goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene and last season’s top goal scorer in South Africa, Katleko Masheko, among a host of other big names.
Other new signings were Bryce Moon, Bongani Zungu, Dove Wome, Raymond Monama, Tiyani Mabunda, Rodney Ramagalela, Sibusiso Kumalo, Glenn Verbauwhede and Rashid Sumaila.
Sundowns released about 15 players as coach Pitso Mosimane embarked on a serious clean up and rebuilding exercise that should give him at least a cup come end of season, after seasons of drought with Pirates dominating in the last three years until Kaizer Chiefs took the title last season
Still in South Africa, former Warriors left back Onismor Bhasera was said to be club hunting after parting ways with Plymouth Argyle in the lower league in England.
He had been recently been linked to Turkey, but resurfaced at Bidvest Wits where he is trying his luck. Good luck folks.
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