Kaizer Chiefs star Khama Billiat has explained how he almost stopped playing football before signing his first professional contract in the car of his coach.
The attacking midfielder has had a difficult 2020/21 season, disrupted by injuries.
He made a second-half cameo in the CAF Champions League final but couldn’t prevent his side’s 3-0 defeat to Al Ahly. However, Amakhosi fans will be hopeful that he can be fully fit for the new campaign.
But the Zimbabwe international almost didn’t end up playing professional football, revealing that he was making good money working for a friend.
“I stopped playing for a year when I was 19 years old,” he said.
“I had a friend, who had a shop in town and then his mom gave us a laptop and we were making good money.
“There was a coach in my area, who didn’t like that. This coach, he came looking for me (because he wanted me for) this other club and play football.
“But football was not there (for me) at that moment, to be honest. At that moment, I was was helping my family and it was working.
“It got to a point that every time (the coach came), everyone in that complex told me I should hide.
“But one day, I said ok it’s fine. He already got me football boots and he said I must go. And then coach Lloyd Chitembwe, who was the coach for CAPS United said ‘just come, let’s go’, like a joke. Next thing (he says) he needs to sign me, he likes me so much.
“So I signed there in the car. I played for CAPS for just two months because it was pre-season and I think I played just three games.”
After those games, Billiat moved to South Africa to play for Ajax Cape Town, where he spent three years before joining Mamelodi Sundowns. Following a five-year stint with Masandawana, he joined Chiefs in 2018.
