Despite Mamelodi Sundowns’ best efforts to hold onto Billiat, the Zimbabwean international decided to join his boyhood club Kaizer Chiefs on a three-year deal.

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Billiat had previously been linked with moves abroad, to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, but has decided to keep playing his football in the PSL.

Motaung did not only engage with the player, but with his family as well in an effort to capture what will arguably be the biggest transfer during the window.

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“It was not difficult. As you know he is a big player and we all know that it was understood that he is going overseas and all the big clubs were interested in him. He was available during this window, but we do things uniquely here at Chiefs in terms of how we negotiate our deals and how we approach the players,” Motaung says.

“It was a number of factors that actually clinched the deal. The way we engaged the player and his family, it was welcoming for him to come to Chiefs.”

Billiat, who lifted the COSAFA Cup with the Warriors recently, brings a wealth of experience from his time at Sundowns, where he won trophies both locally and on the continent. Amakhosi will need him to be at his best if they are to rediscover their glory days.