Former PSL star Khama Billiat has opened up about how he was nearly steered toward joining Orlando Pirates before ultimately opting for a move to the 15-time league champions, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Billiat enjoyed a truly distinguished and sterling career within the Betway Premiership, reaching his absolute zenith during a trophy-laden spell at Sundowns, though he also spent a notable period representing the Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs.
His journey in South African football commenced in 2010 when he arrived from Zimbabwe to join Ajax Cape Town [currently known as Cape Town Spurs FC]. After establishing himself as a marquee talent in the Mother City, he eventually secured a high-profile transfer to Sundowns in September 2013. He went on to dedicate five successful years to the Chloorkop-based outfit before ultimately sealing a blockbuster move to Amakhosi in August 2018.
In a fascinating turn of events, Billiat has now revealed that he very nearly ended up on the books of Pirates in 2013, just moments before his eventual switch to Sundowns. However, he decisively halted the potential transfer to the Buccaneers, disclosing that the Ajax Cape Town leadership had set the entire deal in motion without his prior knowledge or personal consent.
‘AJAX CAPE TOWN WANTED ME TO JOIN ORLANDO PIRATES, BUT I REFUSED TO’ – BILLIAT
The 35-year-old opened up in an interview with Zimbabwe’s Off the Pitch Chat, stating that he refused to join Pirates even though Ajax Cape Town was on the verge of finalising the deal.
“So I spent three years at Ajax Cape Town, and in my third year, I returned home to Zimbabwe at the end of the season. And when I returned for the 2013/14 season, I was told that I was at the wrong destination,” he said.
“I was told to go to Johannesburg to join Orlando Pirates because the club, Ajax Cape Town, had already agreed to sell me to them. What was left was for me to agree on personal terms, but I said no, because I never wanted to play for Orlando Pirates. I never imagined myself playing for them, maybe because of the experiences I’d heard about former players at the club.
“I wanted to join Mamelodi Sundowns because they wanted me, and I also wanted to play alongside Teko Modise and other stars. That’s how I ended up at Sundowns, but for a moment, a move to Pirates was on the cards.
“At Sundowns, it was tough at first, but my manager, the late Edzai Kasinauyo, told me it would never be easy because it was a new environment, but the reception was overwhelming, and everything went well.”
Now at Scottland FC in Zimbabwe’s PSL, Billiat is one of Zimbabwe’s most decorated footballers, thanks to his standout career at Sundowns from 2013 to 2018.
His major achievements include winning the 2016 CAF Champions League and scooping numerous individual awards, including the 2016 PSL Player of the Season accolade.
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