FOCUS will be on the Golden Boot race between Highlanders’ Lynoth Chikuhwa and Yadah’s Khama Billiat when their respective clubs clash in their last match of the season at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow.
Chikuhwa looks set to nick the gong with 16 goals and three ahead of Billiat, who will have to score a hat-trick plus tomorrow to surpass the Highlanders kingpin for the prestigious Golden Boot award.
It’s probably Billiat’s first time to play at Emagumeni as he left the country in 2010 to join Ajax Cape Town in South Africa straight from Aces Youth Soccer Academy in Harare.
In 2016, he came with Mamelodi Sundowns to play Chicken Inn in the Caf Champions League, but sat on the terraces due to injury.
This year when he returned home to play for Yadah, he has played against Chicken Inn, Arenel Movers and Bulawayo Chiefs at Luveve.
Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu spoke highly of Chikuhwa and Billiat.
“If there is one feat that we have achieved as a club is to see Lynoth manage to score those 16 goals,” Kaindu said.
“Looking at the way we have been playing this year and last year, I give credit to the team and Lynoth. It is not easy in modern day football to score 16 goals.
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“He can even score more as there is still a game for him to consolidate his finishing as leading goal scorer. He has been outstanding in terms of goals.”
He said Chikuhwa was barely mentioned at the beginning of the season, but has proved his mettle.
“At the beginning of the season, not many gave him a chance, but I think it’s the confidence that the the technical team put in him,” the Zambian mentor said.
“We believed in him and he did not disappoint. He has delivered. We just hope and keep on praying that he keeps up the momentum. It was also good to see him score a hattrick that has been eluding the club for quite some time.”
Kaindu said Billiat is an exceptional player, who should be playing elsewhere.
“He (Billiat) is a good player and a favourite of many. Most of the time when we play against them (Yadah), there are people who just come to watch an individual and if you give him room to play, he can display the qualities that he has got, but what we need to do is to focus on the game that we are playing and hope that we will be able to manage him,” he said.
“He is one of the most talented players in the league and maybe too good to be playing for our league. He is a very good player. We just hope that we have got enough players who can be assigned to monitor him.”
Caps United’s William Manondo is on 12 goals as the Green Machine play their last game against Ngezi Platinum Stars at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday.
Ngezi have Takura Benhura with 11 goals and is tied with champions Simba Bhora’s Tymon Machope.
Simba Bhora are off to Nyamhunga, where they take on ZPC Kariba tomorrow.
The Shamva-based club’s skipper Walter Musona is on 10 goals as the final chase for the Golden Boot ensues this weekend.
