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Sports Reporter

KAIZER Chiefs coach, Stuart Baxter, says Zimbabwean forward, Khama Billiat, is looking sharp ahead of the MTN8 clash against his former paymasters, Mamelodi Sundowns, this weekend.

The 30-year-old has had a rough period, with injuries, which kept him out for most of the previous season.

Billiat was taken off in the pre-season Carling Black Label Cup, against Orlando Pirates, as a precaution, after he went down, with what initially looked like a serious injury.

However, the coach confirmed afterwards the attacking midfielder was not in danger.

Chiefs are set to begin the new season this Sunday with a date against Sundowns at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Billiat’s progress in training has excited Baxter, who faced the media yesterday, and gave an update on his team.

“Khama is doing excellently in training. He is looking sharp, enthusiastic. He is probably a better all-round player than I thought he would be, but that’s what happens when you work with players — you get to know them better.

“Whether that means, he will start, or he is a very interesting guy from the bench, the next couple of days will tell me.

“But, certainly, Khama is looking like he is enjoying the work we are doing and, two, he is showing his quality,” Baxter told media.

Chiefs travel to Pretoria for their quarter-final match, a repeat of Baxter’s first game in charge at the club in 2012.

In that match, Chiefs were thumped 4-1 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

Expectations are high from Chiefs supporters, after the club made excellent signings in the transfer market, and they believe this could be the season they could end their trophy drought.

“We’ve got a couple of them (players) who are getting back,’’ said Baxter. “Lebo Manyama did his first training with the team, the other day.

“That does not mean he is fit, but it means he is fit to take part in training and get himself match fit.

“We’ve got the couple of others, who have come back from the Olympics, not injured, and they’ve got to slowly get back into things.

“We’ve got the ones who have been injured long-term, Leo Castro and (Dumisani) Zuma.

“We do have our injuries but, at the same time, we have got players who have been taking part in training and those are the ones we will be selecting the team from.

“I can’t see any huge surprises now.”