Khama Billiat: Ex PSL Star Explains Why He Left Mamelodi Sundowns for Kaizer Chiefs

• Khama Billiat continues to make revelations of what transpired between him and Mamelodi Sundowns during his time in the PSL
• The Zimbabwean international has now opened up on what happened that made him join Kaizer Chiefs from the Brazilians in 2018
• The former Ajax Cape Town star was rated as one of the best players in the South African league during the time the deal happened

Former Premier Soccer League star Khama Billiat has explained the reason behind his decision to leave Mamelodi Sundowns for a high-profile move to Kaizer Chiefs eight years ago.

The Zimbabwean international left the Brazilians for the Glamour Boys in 2018 after spending five successful seasons with the Pretoria giants.

He won several titles with Masandawana, including the Betway Premiership and the CAF Champions League in 2016 under the management of Pitso Mosimane. He was close to joining Orlando Pirates before moving to Sundowns after leaving Ajax Cape Town, now known as Cape Town Spurs.

Read also

Cardoso blames fixture congestion for Sundowns collapse against TS Galaxy

He recently opened up about who helped him settle down at Sundowns when he joined the Brazilians.

Billiat opens up on difficult negotiations

Speaking on Off the Pitch Chat, as quoted by KickOff, Billiat admitted he had initially hoped to remain at Mamelodi Sundowns.

“I genuinely wanted to stay, and the club also wanted me to remain, but the negotiations dragged on for too long,” he said.

According to the former CAF Champions League winner, the constant disputes over financial terms created an uncomfortable atmosphere behind the scenes.

“The repeated discussions over money and other issues were becoming unhealthy,” he explained. “Eventually, even the club president got involved, and there were disagreements among people.”

The former Cape Town Spurs star revealed that the situation eventually became tense within the club, with some figures supporting his contract demands while others opposed them.

“It became a toxic environment. Certain people wanted me to stay and receive the deal we had been discussing, while others were against me getting that package despite wanting me to remain.”

Read also

Miguel Cardoso reveals fear ahead of Sundowns’ CAF Champions League final

Why Billiat dumped Sundowns for Chiefs

Billiat confirmed that he ultimately decided to leave after comparing Sundowns’ offer with proposals from other clubs.

“In the end, staying no longer felt right for me. That’s part of football sometimes, and I had to move on,” he added.

Billiat also disclosed that by the time an agreement was finally reached, the drawn-out process had already damaged his desire to continue at Sundowns.

The former Sundowns star explained that although both sides eventually found common ground, he no longer felt comfortable extending his stay.

“We eventually reached an agreement, but afterwards I stepped back because I felt it would turn into a situation where I constantly had to prove myself,” he said. “In football, you never know what can happen.”

He believed the pressure surrounding the prolonged talks would have made life difficult had he stayed, especially because discussions continued even after his contract expired.

Read also

Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou takes aim at critics with confident stance

“Even after my contract had ended, I still had the opportunity to sign a new deal,” he said. “But after all the delays and disagreements, I started questioning what the future would look like for me at the club.”

He added that the offers he received elsewhere made him realise the negotiations at Sundowns could have been concluded much sooner.

“I showed them the difference between what we were fighting over and what other clubs were offering me. It felt like the deal could have been wrapped up earlier, and from what I was seeing, staying would not have been the best decision for me.”

Billiat speaks on his salary at Chiefs

Briefly News also reported that Billiant has broken his silence on rumours claiming he earned over R800,000 as a monthly salary during his time at Kaizer Chiefs.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns star is said to be the highest-paid player in the Premier Soccer League at the time with Amakhosi.

Source: Briefly News