Billiat on Sundowns departure: 'It started becoming a bit toxic'

Zimbabwean star Khama Billiat has opened up about why he left Mamelodi Sundowns and ultimately joined Kaizer Chiefs during his time in South African football.

The talented attacker first arrived in Mzansi in 2010 when he joined Ajax Cape Town from CAPS United, before going on to enjoy tremendous success with Downs between 2013 and 2018, winning several major trophies with the Tshwane giants.

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After his successful spell at Masandawana, Billiat completed another high-profile move to the Soweto giants, a move that sparked widespread debate within the football fraternity.

The 35-year-old, now playing for Scottland FC in his home country, has now revealed why he eventually decided to part ways with Sundowns.

"I did not want to leave, honestly, and the club did not want me to leave as well, but the negotiations just went long, and long," Billiat said while speaking on the Off the Pitch Chat YouTube Channel.

"And going back and forth about money and other things is not healthy, honestly. It got to a point where the president became involved and people were fighting," he shared.

"It was starting to get toxic a little bit in a way that there are some people that want me to stay and they want me to get the package that maybe we were negotiating for, but there are other people that don't want me to get the package but want me to stay."

The Zimbabwean international said he evntually decided to leave looking at what was he asking for and the offers that were there in front of him.

"It wasn't healthy for me to stay after all. But yeah, that's football, it happens. I had to leave," he added.

Billiat further explained that although an agreement was eventually reached, he no longer felt comfortable remaining at the club after the lengthy negotiations.

"At the end, we got to reach an understanding, but... and then I pulled back afterwards because I felt like, nah, it's just going to be like, show us. And you never know what happens, it is football."

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The Caf Chmapions League winning attacker said he felt like it wasn't going to be healthy for him to stay under so much pressure.

"Yes, we don't mind that, but remember, I had to run my contract down, because the negotiations were taking long up until, like, my contract get finished."

"Even afterwards, I could still get the contract, but now I'm like, if it takes this much long and at the end they give me after so much fight, you don't really know what happens with the player."

"Afterwards, I showed them, like, you know what, what we were fighting for and what I'm getting offered right now. It's like we could have finished the deal earlier on, but now with what I'm seeing, I don't think I'm doing justice to myself if I can stay."