The expiry of Khama Billiat's contract at Kaizer Chiefs on June 30 has left the former Zimbabwe international walking down an unfamiliar passage as he gets into the twilight stages of his career.
Billiat has spent the past five years at Chiefs but has now found himself out of contract for the first time since he arrived in South Africa 13 years ago.
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The slippery attacker has just come off an underwhelming season.
It was a campaign in which he failed to score – the first time this has ever happened since making his way into the DStv Premiership from Zimbabwean club CAPS United at the start of the 2010/11 season.
A return of only three assists in 12 appearances through the past season doesn't measure up to Billiat's standards that have had him on double-scoring figures in his best years.
Those goals – mostly scored at Ajax Cape Town and Mamelodi Sundowns – have taken him to within three of reaching 100 strikes playing for a South African top-league club.
However, for all his abilities and admiration that he still enjoys at Chiefs, Billiat has considerations to make at this point.
Options will always be there for a player of his abilities but the nature of the contract that he will now sign will be different to what he has enjoyed at Naturena.
When Chiefs signed Billiat from Sundowns five years ago they desperately needed him, and it was a bargain that he made the switch on a free transfer.
That free transfer gave Chiefs the reason to go out of their way in handing Billiat a contract that elevated him to the top tier of earners in domestic football.
Chiefs have not won any silverware through Billiat's time at the club and reality is that they have also not found a genuine replacement.
Amakhosi are keen to have Billiat staying and the matter at hand is ironing out a contract for which talks have been ongoing.
On the other end, there have been some agents seeking to take advantage of that Billiat now has no 'genuine representation' with his current manager thin on football experience.
Billiat's name is being fronted to the Middle East market where he still has admirers.
The rising leagues in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates will provide the money that could entice Billiat considering that no fuss is ever made about age in those countries.
Tanzania champions Young Africans have thrown a wild card of interest as well.
Whispers have indicated that Billiat will prefer to continue in Gauteng where he has been resident with his family for the past decade since joining Sundowns from Ajax.
Interesting developments around Billiat are expected before the end of July.
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