Johannesburg - The closest Khama Billiat came to royalty as a child was feeling like a king.
But in a matter of three hours, in a two-legged CAF Champions League final against Zamalek starting at Lucas Moripe Stadium (3pm on Saturday) before playing the return leg in Alexandria next Sunday, Billiat and his teammates have a chance to be kings of Africa.
Mamelodi Sundowns already rule South Africa while Billiat was crowned king in May when he won the Footballer of the Year award.
If the Brazilians get the better of the five-time African champions they will also rule the continent for a year and go to Japan in the Fifa Club World Cup next month to meet other continental kings.
Billiat, who doodled on the ground at Chloorkop when talking about his personal achievements because it embarrasses him, spoke with greater authority about the time his father, Mustafa Billiat, bought him his first pair of boots.
“I felt like a king. He made me special among my friends because I had proper boots while some of them didn’t,” he said. “I was the one asked to lend my boots to friends when I wasn't playing. He really surprised me.
“I remember, I was supposed to get school shoes but I cried for those boots. He got them for me and he didn't have a problem with it because as a parent, if the school shoes are finished then you must buy new ones. Not less important things like football boots. I was taken aback because that's how much he believed in me and my talent. Now I can get boots any time I want.”
Billiat needs to wear his scoring boots today in the first leg, when Sundowns must make the most of their advantage before they travel to Egypt for the second leg.
The Brazilians’ Class of 2001 and Orlando Pirates in 2013 were denied the Champions League title by Al-Ahly because they played to a draw at home. The Egyptian giants wrapped up those matches in Cairo to win two of their eight titles because they had limited the danger in South Africa. Zamalek will try to do the same.
But Billiat, who is used to disappointment, believes this is Sundowns’ chance to rule the continent after a long wait.
The Zimbabwean forward also waited a long time for his chance. He quit football at one point because of financial woes at Aces Youth Academy, where he cut his teeth at 11, limited their programme.
Kaizer Chiefs came to that academy and signed his friend Knowledge Musona, leaving Billiat because they felt he wasn’t ready. Ajax Cape Town brought him to South Africa before he joined the Brazilians three years ago.
Billiat has won almost everything there is to win with Sundowns. The Champions League is among the titles missing, though.
The 26-year-old argues that what he saw from his team in last year’s Champions League against five-time African champions, TP Mazembe, in the second round, gave him the belief that they can go all the way.
“They made our team be like monsters. They made us arrogant and stronger because we could have beaten them. But we didn't have the experience of playing at that level. We have that now,” he said.
“The coach (Pitso Mosimane) believed in us and told us there was nothing scary about Mazembe.
“We couldn’t beat them because we didn’t have the experience of playing in that stage as a group. That game made us a better team because when we watched the video afterwards we got angry because we saw we could have won.”
Billiat continued: “Little mistakes played a role. We heard that their coach (Patrice Carteron, who has since left) said we were their toughest opponents.”
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The Star