KHAMA Billiat's name has been on every Zimbabwean football follower's lips since last Wednesday when it was announced that he decided to make a return to international football.
That was after he was persuaded to once again wear the Warriors jersey by new Warriors coach Michael Nees, who also tried but without success to persuade Knowledge Musona to come out of retirement.
Billiat says he still has unfinished business with the Warriors of Zimbabwe whom he served so well in the past. "There is still one more chapter that remains unfinished between Khama Billiat and the Zimbabwe national team."
The ginger-haired Yadah playmaker also exudes a lot of confidence after an exciting return to Zimbabwean football where he is firmly in the run for the Premier Soccer League Golden Boot Award. "I feel, I still have something to give to Zimbabwean football locally and internationally."
Such is Billiat and his drive to make another name in his second homecoming for the Warriors of Zimbabwe for whom he was the driver for years.
Sadly, though, times have changed and Billiat is no longer as young as he was and at 34 years, the terrain will not be as smooth as it was four years or so ago.
The decision Billiat has made could be one he will regret in his lifetime or one he will live to remember because there will be one results — success or failure.
What the player should be told is that what he will do this time around will be judged against what he has already done and failure will erase all the good he did.
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In short, Billiat is risking all the good times he gave to Zimbabwean football for the sake of another chapter and for that matter at the age of 34 years.
He is also not as fit as he was six years ago after countless injuries some of which forced him out of the field of play for long periods.
Surely, we cannot blame the school of thought that is of the opinion that Billiat made a big mistake by coming back and should have allowed history to stand.
Surely, the attention on him will be intense and for that matter far much more than the focus that will be on Zimbabwe's international stars including Tawanda Chirewa himself.
The question is: Will the former Mamelodi Sundowns poster-boy be able to carry the weight of expectation that is hanging on his shoulders ?
Surely his power of recovery has been phenomenal and his skill and knack for goals have been clearly evident but the feeling persists that he should not have come back.
But then many said the same when he was signed by Yadah. They said Khama was old and finished and that Yadah were wasting their money but like a phoenix, Billiat rose.
Surely, Michael Nees would not have just called Khama into camp had he not consulted heavily and his advisers might not have done so just for the sake of making Khama happy.
What we are all waiting to see is whether he will repay the faith placed in him by of all people, a foreigner like Michael Need.
*For your views, comments and suggestions mkariati@gmail.com or WhatsApp on 0773 266 779.
