Khama Billiat flies in and out of Harare

INSPIRATIONAL Zimbabwe forward Khama Billiat has revealed his disappointment at having to miss Sunday's African Cup of Nations qualifier against Liberia because of injury, but has backed his teammates to overcome the Lone Star and get their Group G campaign off to a flier.

The Warriors will begin their quest for a place at the 2019 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon with a clash against Liberia at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

The West Africans will also be without their talismanic forward, Anthony Laffor, who is Billiat's teammate at Mamelodi Sundowns and misses out the big game because of injury.

Billiat is battling to recover from an ankle injury that has sidelined him for nearly five weeks.

He flew into the country at midday yesterday in the company of former Zimbabwe captain and Mamelodi Sundowns team manager Peter Ndlovu, with the player later heading for an assessment by the Warriors medical crew.

The duo then flew back to South Africa in the evening after the player underwent an assessment by the Warriors technical team amid revelations that it had shown that Billiat was still far from recovering.

The reigning South African Footballer of the Year said while he had been eager to have been part of the side that would battle against Liberia on Sunday, he was still far from regaining fitness in order to return to the pitch.

Billiat, however, backed his teammates, who will be led by his close friend and new captain, Knowledge Musona, to begin their bid for a place at the 2019 Nations Cup with a home win.

"I am so disappointed with having to miss this game. If there is anything that I could do to be fit, I would do it, but it's sad I haven't recovered,'' said Billiat.

"I feel I have so much to offer for the country and I would always want to be part of the national team.

"It is a privilege to represent your country and to have been included by the coach when there are so many players to choose from.

"But at the moment it is not in my control, but I am trying my best to be back playing football and sadly some people might not see it the same way. No one has stopped me from coming to the national team and I think there may have been a communication breakdown along the way.''

Billiat also spoke of his disappointment at having to miss Sundowns' last two Champions League assignments, including their latest 2-1 home defeat by Esperance of Tunisia last Friday, which left the Brazilians in third place in Group C.

"Like I said, it's disappointing that most of the time you want to be playing football, but now I can't and I just have to follow what the experts have

been telling me to do in order for me to be fit again,'' Billiat said.

Billiat and Ndlovu spoke to the local media before the Warriors medical crew did their own assessment of the extent of the player's injury, which involved carrying out a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan.

The pair used their address to the media to clarify the circumstances surrounding Billiat's no-show at the Warriors camp, suggesting that a communication breakdown had led to the impasse that had ensued between the African champions and ZIFA.

Ndlovu, a Warriors legend, was particularly unhappy at having been fingered in the problems that led to Billiat failing to turn up for camp when the Warriors regrouped on Monday.

The former Zimbabwe skipper said he had chosen to travel with Billiat to reiterate his support for the Warriors' cause and, more importantly, clear the air over the alleged friction between Sundowns and the national team in which he had been alleged to have been "personally working to block the player's release".

"As a Zimbabwean, why should I stop Khama from coming? I won things with Zimbabwe and I want Khama to win things too, but he hasn't kicked a ball for nearly five weeks now.

"I do not control Sundowns, I work for Sundowns and Khama works for Sundowns and the club has its own procedures, but we are Zimbabweans first and foremost.

"We are not here to be at war with anyone or to fight with each other, but just to get the record straight and meet the Warriors doctors so that they can have a look at the Sundowns medical report and they do their own assessment.

"Khama is not the only Sundowns international who is injured . . . Anthony Laffor is injured and will miss the Liberia match, Hlompo Kekana is injured and has been withdrawn from Bafana Bafana, so why would I hold onto Khama only?'' Ndlovu said.

It also emerged from the assessment done by the Warriors team doctor Somani Mudariki later yesterday that Billiat "is still in bad shape''.

"The MRI scan was done and it confirmed that he is indeed injured and it's in conformity with the Sundowns doctor's report.

"We did a thorough examination on the player and satisfied ourselves that he is injured and it is actually in the spirit of sports medicine that we protect our athletes through injury prevention measures,'' said Mudariki.

Ndlovu said Billiat had been forced into a long-term casualty after sustaining an ankle injury in an ABSA Premiership tie against Maritzburg United. In his absence, Sundowns faltered in their title defence and finished second behind Bidvest Wits.

The Brazilians have also slumped into third place in their group at the half-way stage of the Champions League mini-league phase. "He was injured on the ankle during our game against Maritzburg United and he missed some important games which Sundowns lost without him.

"He has now been put on an intensive rehabilitation programme, where he is working under a biokineticist, who will release him to the fitness trainer when he is done.

"Unlike in the past, football has become even more scientific. Khama is here today as you know he is injured and he is not even 20 percent fit. As much as Khama is an important member of the team, the fans must believe in the players that are there for this game and give them full support,'' Ndlovu said.