Dump Billiat and keep Khune, legend advises Chiefs

McGregor wary of delays in clarifying Zwane matter

Neville Khoza Sports Journalist
Khama Billiat of Kazier Chiefs.
Khama Billiat of Kazier Chiefs.
Image: Lefty Shivambu

Keep Itumeleng Khune, but let Khama Billiat go. This is the message to Kaizer Chiefs from club legend Shane McGregor, who reckons Amakhosi cannot get the best out of attacker Billiat, but can still draw something out of veteran keeper Khune.

The duo’s contracts expire on Friday and, while nothing official has come through, it is believed they will both be offered an extension of at least a season. Former striker McGregor, however, would not have kept Billiat at Naturena for another day.

“To be honest, what has Billiat done since he has been at Chiefs? Not much. For the goalkeeper, he [Khune] can still mature with experience, you can still go for a few more years and also he can help other keepers, so that can be worth it keeping him.

“But for me personally, it is a waste of time keeping Billiat, but as I said, it is a difficult one to call because you don’t know who will come in and what will happen, whether the coach will want to use him.

“He ([Billiat] is a very good player, if you keep him fit and happy, he can do things. But it has not been happening while he has been at Chiefs.”

McGregor also weighed in on the speculation around the Chiefs coaching post which is currently occupied by Arthur Zwane, although there has been suggestions Amakhosi have been courting other coaches, including Tunisian Nasreddine Nabi.

“I don’t understand. I mean it is already July, it seems there is no decision about the coach. Is Zwane going to be there? I’m not sure if they made a decision to keep him,” he said, although for the record, Chiefs did come out to back Zwane at the end of the previous season, assuring their fans he was still head coach.

“If you bring in a coach now, who is buying the players? It’s like Richards Bay, they have fired the coach, but they have been buying players. What if a coach comes in and he doesn’t like the players that have been bought and they don’t suit his style of play? It is ridiculous, to be honest. They [Chiefs] should have sorted this out a long time ago,” McGregor said.

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