Cape Town – Khama Billiat has undeniably been at the heart of Kaizer Chiefs rejuvenation and has witnessed first-hand the jaunty demeanour of his teammates when celebrating a goal.
As Chiefs' fortunes have taken an upward turn, Billiat has rediscovered his mojo. Together with the inspirational Keagan Dolly, Chiefs now find themselves in a lofty second place on the standings. Last weekend the two acclaimed players collectively bagged three goals against Swallows, and it sparked touchline celebrations that would have made the 'king of goal celebrations' Roger Milla look on with envy.
The 31-year-old Zimbabwean who recently retired from international football will play his 100th match for Chiefs when next he runs out for the AmaKhosi. It is a milestone that he should pass on Saturday at FNB Stadium against Cape Town City.
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Of course, Billiat often led the way with the touchline celebrations, but it showed how much the goals meant to the team. Now, a few days on, Billiat has paused to reflect on the jollification and appealed to his teammates to temper the celebrations.
“We are professional enough," said Billiat. "We used to celebrate when we were young right? Now, we celebrate professionally. We don’t need to be out there celebrating like the league is finished.
"We have to stay focused."
Billiat's admonition comes a few days ahead of their home clash against struggling City on Saturday. He would like to see the team playing down the hype and focus on “getting the basics right”.
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He is acutely aware that the threat of a dangerous coronavirus pandemic and its latest variants is real and ever-present.
“I want to thank God for this opportunity and for keeping us strong," said Billiat. "You know we are living in a difficult time right now.
"We pray to God that he keeps us strong and that we have this strong team.
“We have got a strong squad, and I always trust my boys. Whether I play or don’t play we are positive about the result. We work hard like we always do.
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"I am happy for the team, and I am happy that we keep getting stronger and stronger. We understand each other and the importance of collecting the maximum points that we needed.”
Billiat says there is no time for high jinks or gloat at the team's lofty second-place berth on the latest standings.
“It’s not easy, but we are not looking at the table,” said Billiat. “Right now, we want to focus on the things that the coaches want us to do.
"We want to focus on getting the basics right, which will always help us get the good results and performances and then we will look at the table afterwards.
"We will stay focused and humble, and we keep on working hard for the team.”
Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter is hoping Billiat and Dolly, together with skipper Bernard Parke will again apply the Midas touch on Saturday. He said the trio squeezed the life out of Swallows and produced some clinical finishing.
“They pressed very well in the first half, and that resulted in us getting a couple of good chances," said Baxter. "If you give them an inch, they will take a yard. They found themselves a little bit of space, and three goals were the result.”
IOL Sport