dyton mupawaenda
Bruce Chikuni-Sports Reporter
FORMER Dynamos and Gunners striker Norman Maroto believes Khama Billiat has what it takes to surpass the 20-goal mark.
Billiat joined Yadah on a one-year contract after 10 months of inactivity following the expiry of his contract at Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs.
Maroto is the last player to score at least 20 goals in the domestic Premier Soccer League as he netted 22 goals to claim the league’s Golden Boot 14 years ago while playing for the now-defunct Chando Kupisa.
Interestingly, that was the same year that Billiat made his breakthrough when he moved to South Africa’s Ajax Cape from CAPS United before the mid-season break.
Maroto believes his record will be under a real threat this season.
And he told Zimpapers Sports why he is tipping Billiat to be the record-breaker.
“I don’t believe that record will stand for a long time because I am very convinced that we have strikers who are very capable of setting new records.
“But I just don’t know what is taking them so long to make that happen.
“But the arrival of Billiat has me believing that he is likely going to change those statistics because he is someone who has been on the African football awards podium receiving the second-best player in the continent award,” said Maroto.
The numbers that Billiat accumulated during his time in South Africa are impossible to ignore.
He scored 97 goals during his time with Ajax Cape Town, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Kaizer Chiefs as a winger.
He was Mzansi’s best player in the 2015/16 season.
And it’s not only Maroto’s record that Billiat is expected to go after.
Ralph Matema scored 12 goals in the 2019 season, which is ranked as the best by any Yadah player since their arrival in the top-flight league.
And this will require Billiat just 13 goals to surpass Matema.
Online Reporter