Sports Reporter
KAIZER Chiefs used their muscle to intimidate other clubs in the South African Premiership from signing Khama Billiat after the Zimbabwean forward rejected their proposal to stay at Naturena on reduced terms.
The 33-year-old Billiat returned home and has signed a one-year contract with Yadah Stars in the domestic Premiership.
He was unveiled by the Miracle Boys at a glitzy ceremony at their Waterfalls base last Thursday.
Billiat has since decided to return home for good and has enrolled his daughter at a local school.
Reports last week also revealed that his household property was also being ferried to his house in the capital.
Billiat was, at one time, the highest paid footballer in the South African Premiership where he was getting a cool R800 000 a month.
However, towards the end of his contract last year, Chiefs offered him reduced terms to stay at the Amakhosi but Billiat turned down the offer.
This incensed some key officials at Chiefs who felt Billiat had betrayed the club as they believed the Amakhosi never got a return on the investment they splashed on him during his five-year stay at the club.
Billiat was reported to be interested in joining Cape Town City, who sit in second place on the table, and even trained for three days with SuperSport United before he was forced to stop coming for the sessions.
“We are not going to sign him, so it’s pointless to continue training,” SuperSport United CEO Stan Mathews told the Sunday World question.
H-Metro has been told that Billiat was being stalked by some influential Chiefs officials who intimidated the clubs, which showed interest in signing him, from striking a deal with him.
“The South African football scene is a complex one and it’s like Animal Farm, all the teams are equal but some teams are more equal than others,” said a source.
“Some clubs like Chiefs and Pirates wield considerable influence and when they feel you have betrayed them they really make life very difficult for you.
“They will track your movements and even intimidate other clubs from signing you and this is the predicament that Khama found himself in.
“No SA club was going to sign him, not because he wasn’t good enough but these clubs were being told that there will be serious problems if they sign him.
“I would like to think that Khama is safer now that he is home, especially given all the ugly politics that was happening in the background.”