Coach Michael Nees has outlined the steps taken by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) to ensure that highly-rated attacker Khama Billiat returns to international football.
The Warriors recently sealed their qualification for the CAF 2025 AFCON tournament due to be held in Morocco.
Nees was speaking to the media following his side’s 1-1 draw with Kenya in an AFCON qualification tie at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday night.
Needing just one point to qualify for the 2025 AFCON, Zimbabwe secured their spot with a game remaining.
Zimbabwe was forced to play their home AFCON qualifier in South Africa because of CAF’s stringent stadium accreditation standards.
One of the players who played a key role in ensuring Zimbabwe qualifiers for AFCON is former Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns star Khama Billiat.
In August this year, the former Amakhosi attacker, Billiat, reversed his decision to retire from international football. He made his return to the Zimbabwean squad when they faced Kenya and Cameroon in September 2024.
The 34-year-old has produced decent displays since his return to the international stage, scoring the winner against Namibia in Zimbabwe’s AFCON Group J qualifier at Orlando Stadium last month. In the game against Kenya in Polokwane, Billiat provided the assist for Tawanda Maswanhise’s goal.
WHAT MICHAEL NEES REVEALS HOW ZIMBABWE CONVINCED KHAMA BILLIAT TO COME BACK FROM RETIREMENT
Nees stated that the Zimbabwe Football Association had to meet certain conditions to bring Billiat back into the team. He observed that the conditions did not involve money but rather the necessity for professional management of the national team.
He went on to reveal that Billiat, who plays his club football in the Zim elite league for Yadah FC, was the missing puzzle in his squad. Hence, he made sure to approach him to come out of retirement.
“When I watched all the games in Zimbabwe, I felt there was a player missing behind the striker who could make a difference,” said Nees.
“There were all good footballers and very powerful, but there was something like a creative heart missing. I know Khama from back then and his football career. I observed how he performed when he was back in Zimbabwe.
“So, I approached him and the club [Yadah FC.] as well. It wasn’t just a matter of calling him and saying we want you back in the squad. Khama and other players have conditions, and those conditions are not about money or anything like that. They have conditions that the things around the team are run fully professionally.”
Nees continued: “You don’t want to come out of retirement and then retire again a month later. They want everything to be organised around the team, from hotel accommodations to flight bookings. They can even accept being on the bench, but they want to know that everything is handled from a professional point of view.
“We are a small federation, but everybody is giving their best, and I think the players somehow feel that, and they are not fooled. That’s basically the secret of why they put everything on the table on the pitch.”
As things stand, Zimbabwe are placed second in Group J with nine points from five outings. They are just two points behind group leaders Cameroon, whom they will face on Tuesday, 19 November 2024.
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