Another former Billiat teammate questions logic behind Chiefs move

Former Bafana Bafana and Ajax Cape Town goalkeeper Hans Vonk has questioned the logic behind Khama Billiat’s move to Kaizer Chiefs, insisting that the Zimbabwean winger should have moved to Europe instead.

Vok and Billiat were teammates at the Cape Town-based side before the Mufakose-bred star joined Mamelodi Sundowns, where he became household name in South African football.

To the surprise of many, including Vonk, Billiat moved to Amakhosi in 2018, but has failed to replicate the form which catapulted him to stardom at Masandawana and the now retired shot-stopper insists that was not the best decision by his former teammate.

“We were suddenly surprised that he signed for Chiefs,” Vonk was qouted as saying by South African publication Kick Off.

He continued:”It was not a good step in his career. It would have benefited Zimbabwe as well if Khama had moved to Europe. So we [Vonk and ex-Ajax head coach Foppe de Haan] were surprised that he decided to stay in South Africa where he had won everything. At that time a move to Europe would have been good for him.

“I don’t know his private situation and whether he is married or not and has young kids, so it is difficult to judge from that point. However, from a career point of view a move to Europe would have been very much beneficial for his case. He needed to get out of that environment where he had already proven himself.

“He was the best player in South Africa so the next step which would have been logical would have been to move to another country. So we were surprised that he chose to stay. It is always difficult to stay on top in the same environment and that has been proven in his case.”

Interestingly, Vonk’s comments come barely a week after another of Billiat’s teammate Bret Carelse, openly-suggested that the move was a bad one.

 

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