Onyango and Billiat kings at Caf awards, but Afcon will be tough

Khama Billiat conquered continental football with his club side, Sundowns, and now he hopes to do so with his national team, Zimbabwe. Photo: Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Khama Billiat conquered continental football with his club side, Sundowns, and now he hopes to do so with his national team, Zimbabwe. Photo: Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Published Jan 8, 2017

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Immaculately dressed in navy suits, Khama Billiat and Denis Onyango stood next to each other on stage right before they announced the African Player of the Year - Based in Africa.

Rainford Kalaba of Zambia and TP Mazembe was the third wheel, interrupting the Mamelodi Sundowns’ bromance that was taking place in front of a packed International Conference Centre in Abuja on Thursday night. Kalaba was taken out of the equation when it was confirmed that he received the third least votes.

It was as if they were reminding the Chipolopolo captain that he won’t be going to the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), unlike the Sundowns’ pair that remained in the spotlight and will continue to do so in Gabon during the showpiece that starts on Saturday. Billiat stood by Onyango as the Ugandan became the first goalkeeper to win this award. Billiat enjoyed that moment, the two of them standing on the podium with Africa watching.

The Zimbabwean forward, pictured right, now wants them to repeat that in Gabon, no longer dressed in suits but in the colours of their countries along with their countrymen, sharing the podium in the final of the Afcon. It will take some doing for them to achieve that.

Billiat and company have to first finish in the top two of a Group B that features Algeria, Tunisia and the No 1 ranked African side with a star-studded squad, Senegal. Onyango and his Cranes’ teammates have it even harder. Uganda are in the group of death that also features Ghana, Mali and the most successful nation at the Afcon, Egypt.

“Denis played a big role in his nation qualifying for the Afcon (for the first time in 39 years),” Billiat said. “I believe that I played a part in my nation qualifying (for the first time since 2006).

“We have learnt a lot from our experiences with Mamelodi Sundowns in the continent. That has rubbed off in our contribution to our national teams. We are in the right space. I just hope we go there and hopefully I play in the final against Onyango. That would be great. I'd love to do that and see how much influence he has in his team. It would be a great final.”

Billiat and Onyango featured in a great final last year against Egyptian giants Zamalek in the CAF Champions League.

Those two legs against Zamalek, after two other legs in the group stage, should have helped Onyango know the Egyptians better before their Afcon encounter. Sundowns defied the odds to win the Champions League after they entered the group stage via the back door and were grouped with clubs - Zamalek, Enyimba and ES Setif - who shared a combined nine titles while the Brazilians’ best effort was reaching the final in 2001. They powered through that strong competition because of unity and obsessive planning.

Zimbabwe and Uganda also have the odds stacked against them. Not many people are giving them a chance to even make it out of their groups. Billiat and Onyango thrive in situations where they are the underdogs. They carried Sundowns to being African champions and the Club of the Year with their coach, Pitso Mosimane, scooping the Coach of the Year gong.

“It shows the pedigree of a club like Sundowns,” Billiat said.

“We have the best coach in Africa. We are the best club in Africa. We have the best player in Africa and the runner-up. It’s just amazing. It’s great being a part of Mamelodi Sundowns, especially since we brought these awards back home.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if another Sundowns player wins this award next year. We just want to stay in this space. We have learned a lot. We have travelled a lot and that has made us stronger and united. We are just dominating in this space. Hopefully we take that to our national teams.”

The Weekend Argus

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