Billiat missing seniors who left Chiefs, but ready to take baton

When Khama Billiat joined Kaizer Chiefs four years ago, he had senior players to guide him. The likes of fellow countryman Willard Katsande, Bernard Parker and Ramahlwe Mphahlele were there as senior players at Amakhosi. 

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But those senior players have left Chiefs as the team looked to shed some old bones and refresh their squad with younger players. 

The 31-year-old Billiat survived that and is now among the senior players who have to guide the younger players.

“It is always difficult when you are used to someone, spending time with them and they leave,” says Billiat of the situation. 

“But it has always been like that in football, and it is going to be like that. Of course there were a lot of positive contributions they were making to the team. But the team needed change. We are going to miss them. 

“But we need to readjust and try to work with it. We lost a lot of people who we would talk to, who were leading the team. 

“And sometimes it is not only about playing, it is about the people you are comfortable with (even off the field). People who you can go to when you have problems and you know they have gone through it and can guide you.” 

Billiat knows that the time has come for him to be one of those players who help the new arrivals at Chiefs to adjust.

“We are at a point where now one has to impart what he has learnt and make sure that does it in a way that is better than what you got. 

“We appreciate a lot of things we learnt from playing with a lot of senior players. Everyone is different and everyone helps in a different way, but positively so. Now it is time for the others to do the same,” explains Billiat. 

Chiefs begin their DStv Premiership campaign away at Royal AM on Saturday afternoon and Billiat has promised that this is a season of delivery.