…Khama NOT joining Dynamos
Zimpapers Sports Hub
YADAH will unveil former Zimbabwe international, Khama Billiat in Harare Thursday night after beating off competition from Manica Diamonds for his signature.
Zimpapers Sports can reveal that Billiat will NOT be loaned to Dynamos as speculated on social media as Yadah officials want to benefit from the deal.
“It does not make sense to pay so much money on a player whose long-term future is subject to fitness and then loan him to Dynamos or any other local team without recovering the money.
“He will play at Yadah and that is why he will be unveiled tomorrow night; we couldn’t do it tonight because it is a holiday. Otherwise Yadah cannot unveil him at a function, giving him a Yadah kit and then send him out on loan.
“He is different from the likes of Shandirwa, the Yadah players who are on loan at Dynamos because those are still young and have contracts that are automatically extended by a year once they go on loan as age is still on their side. With Khama we are not even sure if he will play beyond this season,” said a Yadah official Wednesday morning.
Billiat decided to return home after a stint in South Africa with Ajax Cape Town, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs.
He has not been active since June last year when he decided against renewing his contract at Kaizer Chiefs and, although there were attempts by other low-key DStv Premiership sides to lure him, a decision to revive his career in Zimbabwe was made.
There is hope that he can attract short-term deals in the Middle East if he successfully negotiates the 2024 Castle Lager Premiership season.
Although Dynamos had seemed Billiat’s destination, his camp says there was a problem with the sign-on fee as the Harare giants, while committed to the US$20 000 fee, offered US$10 000 now and then the remainder in June.
Billiat’s camp wanted it all at once and that is when Manica Diamonds moved in and had seemingly reached an agreement last week on Thursday.
Sources say Manica Diamonds were to pay US$20000 sign-on fee, US$3500 monthly salary and a winning bonus of US$500 while there was nothing for a draw.
A contract was even sent to Billiat while he was still in South Africa but he was then advised to wait a bit, a development which allowed Yadah FC to make inroads using the influence of their partner, businessman and Mabvuku-Tafara member of parliament, Pedzai “Scott” Sakupwanya.
They then came up with a better package than Manica Diamonds resulting in his travel to Harare on Tuesday night where there were dramatic scenes at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
Despite paying big money to land Billiat, Yadah do not intend to pressure him to play unless he is in a good condition.
“Apart from the money issue, the advantage for Khama at Yadah is that, unlike at a bigger club like Dynamos, he will not be under any pressure to play matches. Remember last year Yadah bought three Brazilians and only one played a few minutes and scored while rest just failed to make it.”
“There was never any pressure for them to play. But imagine if those three had been bought by Dynamos? The pressure would have been too much and it’s the same with Khama. There is no way Dynamos can sign a player like him and then watch him on the sidelines without playing,” said the Yadah official.