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It has emerged that a number of Ajax Cape Town’s rivals have set their sights on swooping on the player and the fact that that the Urban Warriors are battling relegation has heightened speculation that their star players are being targeted by some of South Africa’s top clubs.
Big spenders Mamelodi Sundowns who are reportedly lining up a massive clear out of underperforming players are understood to be leading the way in courting Billiat’s signature.
Ajax Cape Town must win their remaining matches against Maritzburg United on Saturday and Golden Arrows to steer clear from relegation.
But the club’s directors in acknowledging the interest around Billiat have reportedly put a R10 million asking price to stave off some teams.
The Zimbabwean international’s profile grew last season when he fine year and even got rave reviews from reviews from Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand who described him as “an agile, exciting player to watch, with great speed and ball control’’ after the two teams drew 1-1 in Cape Town.
Ajax Cape Town had in the past also maintained that they would not sell Khama or any of their top players to local rivals with the Urban Warriors preferring instead to target the European market with their sister club Ajax Amsterdam naturally the first choice.
Former Bafana Bafana captain Steven Pienaar and Thulani Serero have already benefitted from the relationship between Ajax Cape Town and going to Europe via Ajax Amsterdam.
But with no offers having come yet from Europe for Billiat, it appears the Urban Warriors could still be tempted to sell him for a “good price’’ to the Absa Premiership sides.
Sources close to the goings-on at the Urban Warriors said yesterday that Ajax Cape Town would be considering bids from foreign clubs as well as those from the Absa Premiership at the end of the season.
“The club will be dealing with each and every club depending on how much they would be willing to pay for the talented young player.
“Ajax will try to maximise on who is paying more. Mamelodi Sundowns are very interested in the player as well as the other big clubs such as Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
“In terms of progress, it would be good for the young player to join a team like Kaizer Chiefs but everyone here knows that Sundowns can really flex their financial muscle,” said the sources.
The source added that the club may have reached the agreement to release Billiat as it seems their parent club Amsterdam who were crowned champions at the weekend might not be ready to welcome another young attacking midfielder from the South African club.
“Serero haven’t really made much impact at the club, as he has also been affected by injuries and is really yet to settle. It is definitely not easy on the club’s part to quickly have another youngster from the South African club.
“But if Serero had made an impact this season, it would have been easy for Khama to follow suit but right now it is very tricky as the players are more like the same in terms of their play,” said the source.
While a lot would be going on in the next few weeks with Absa Premiership transfers, it has also emerged that Zimbabwean international striker Cuthbert Malajila is also among the players whose services is very much on the radar of a number of clubs.
The Maritzburg striker, who is the third leading striker in the Premiership with 10 goals, three shy of Katlego Mashego of Moroka Swallows is also understood to be on the Sundowns wish list.
Mamelodi Sundowns could not be drawn into immediately revealing whether they are interested in Billiat and Malajila with their chief scout Trott Moloto telling The Herald that they would only be in a position to do so after the season concludes at the end of this month.
“Everybody associates us with those players but officially Sundowns haven’t made any official contact with them. The season is left with two matches and after that the club would be in a position to say which players they are going to sign or not,” said Moloto.
Billiat, a product of the Aces Youth Academy together with other Warriors players such as Knowledge Musona, Abbas Amidu and Lincolin Zvasiya, joined the Cape Town side from CAPS United in 2010 where he had just had a very short stint.
That season, Ajax Cape Town had a memorable season finishing as the runners up to league champions Orlando Pirates with Thembinkosi Fanteni, Serero and Billiat being the key trio.
Serero was then voted the league’s footballer of the year, PSL Player of the Season and Absa Premiership Red Hot Young Player award and was immediately signed by Ajax Amsterdam for € 2,5 million.
Online Reporter