SuperSport United captain Onismor Bhasera says he doesn’t know “what will happen” about the future of Khama Billiat, who is training with the club.
Bhasera, who played with Billiat in the national team including the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2019, said any club in the world would grab the opportunity to sign a player of Billiat’s quality.
Billiat left Kaizer Chiefs at the end of last season under a cloud, as the Soweto giants confirmed thet were waiting for him to come back on the offer they tabled to him after they started the pre-season for 2023/24.
It was about negotiating a new contract as his previous deal with Amakhosi had expired, but the numbers given to Billiat appeared to be not satisfy him, so he decided to go home and spend the first round of the season club-less.
He has now started training with Gavin Hunt’s side, who are short on numbers in attack, as they are involved in the CAF inter-club competition – the Confederations Cup as well as the league and Nedbank Cup.
“He was there at training [on Thursday] and that is what I can give you,” said Bhasera after the Nedbank Cup Round of 32 draw, where they were paired against Cape Town City in the first round.
“But I don’t know anything else, but he is keeping fit. I spoke to him; I think before we even got close, he wanted to keep fit. Of course, you don’t expect him to be the Khama he was because he has been a bit rusty, he has been sitting at home.
“But I think any club in the world now would love to have the quality of Khama, so I don’t know what is going to happen. We put our fingers crossed so that, if anything happens, will happen to us, he will join us.
“But right now, I don’t know. Khama is just training with us, keeping fit.”
Billiat is one of the best foreign players to have played in South Africa, claiming the PSL Footballer of the Year in the 2015/16 season with Mamelodi Sundowns.
As he was untouchable in 2016, he helped Sundowns win the CAF Champions League, scoring a vital goal in the first leg of the semi-final against ZESCO United away before the Tshwane giants finished the job in South Africa to reach the final.
He won three league titles with Sundowns, the Nedbank Cup, a Telkom Knockout, and the CAF Super Cup.
But he left Sundowns ahead of the 2018/19 season after he, just like at Chiefs, did not agree on new salary package, with his demands then matched by Amakhosi.
The 33-year-old, since he arrived in South Africa ahead of the 2010/11 season to initially join Ajax Cape Town from CAPS United, has scored 90 domestic goals in 336 matches.
“It will be a good addition, I know the qualities of Khama,” said Bhasera when asked if it would be a good signing for SuperSport.
“That is why I’m saying, trust me, if he is going to sign on the dotted line, we would have signed a quality player. So, I hope, fingers crossed [he signs for the club].”
