Former CAPS United coach Lloyd ‘Lodza’ Chitembwe has refreshed his memory to the time when the Harare giants were not willing to sign would-be star Khama Billiat.

The pint-sized winger had a brief stint at the Green Machine and played only two games in 2010 but the club hierachy were not willing to sign him and Chitembwe recalls all that happened.

“I first saw Khama Billiat in 2010 at a time when Caps United had lost several of its players to South African clubs,” the Harare City coach told South African publication FarPost.

“Khama was just so small that some of my bosses at Caps United did not understand why I said, ‘Look, I want this boy.’ I am so blessed to have had sight of the boy when he started, what I saw then was pure talent, amazing ability with the ball.”

“CAPS United bosses said no we don’t have that kind of money. The asking fee was reduced to USD$1,000 (R17,000) and still Caps United said no we don’t have. Then Khama begged one the Aces directors Nigel Munyati to train and play for Caps United without any money changing hands.

”“And as fate would have it, the boy just played two games for us. Just before the start of the second game (the late) Edzai Kasinauyo came to me and said Ajax Cape Town wanted Khama on trials. Two weeks later we heard that the Urban Warriors had signed the boy,” added Chitembwe.

To the Green Machine hierarchy’s obvious regret, the Mufakose-bred winger has become of the most decorated players in Africa and was at some point one of the most sought-after footballers on the continent.