Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp has pleaded with football fans to continue to back ‘under-fire’ Khama Billiat amid on-going critics aimed at the Zimbabwean winger.

Billiat has not lived up to the lofty expectations which he carried after his move to the Soweto giants from Mamelodi Sundowns, particularly this season after scoring just one goal in 22 appearances for the log leaders.

Midderdorp, who dropped Billiat to the bench for the potential title-decider against Mamelodi Sundowns in  preference of 17-year-old Keletso Sifama, insists the Warriors star is still ‘one of the best’ and fans should continue to get behind him.

“I can tell you only that as long as the player has the ambition to do everything possible in his abilities currently, they get all the support from my side,” the German told the media.

“Unfortunately he is not doing it as we know he can do, at the moment, I think and I said it already two weeks ago, I have to support him and I am really asking each and every one of the supporters, please support, keep supporting, it makes no sense at the moment to criticize negatively a player just because he has bot fulfilled the expectation from what his class can do. He is one of the best, we know but the background is a little bit different in the moment,” he added.