06/09/2026
Scottland FC’s Champions League Hope May Rest on Khama Billiat’s Experience
When Scottland FC step onto the continental stage, they will have something many debutants simply cannot buy: experience at the highest level of African club football.
At the centre of that experience is Khama Billiat, arguably the most decorated and experienced player in the Scottland squad. The Zimbabwean has already tasted the pressure of a Champions League final twice — winning the competition with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016 and later featuring in Kaizer Chiefs’ 2021 final defeat to Al Ahly.
Billiat’s 2016 campaign remains one of the defining achievements of his career. He was part of the Sundowns side that defeated Zamalek 3–1 on aggregate to claim the club’s maiden African crown. CAF itself identifies Billiat among the key attacking figures of that historic campaign.
That same year, his performances earned him a place among the continent’s elite. He finished runner-up for the CAF African Player of the Year award based in Africa, behind teammate Denis Onyango.
Now, a decade later, the challenge is different.
Billiat is no longer the young, explosive attacker who terrorised defences alongside Percy Tau, Keagan Dolly and Leonardo Castro. He is now the experienced head in a Scottland side looking to make its mark beyond Zimbabwe.
And his current form suggests he still has plenty to offer.
Billiat has been one of Scottland’s standout performers this season, producing 11 goals and six assists in 25 starts. Those numbers underline his importance to a team affectionately known as Mabviravira.
On his day, Billiat remains capable of producing the moment that changes a match — a piece of individual brilliance, a decisive pass or a goal when his team needs it most.
His international experience adds another layer. Billiat has earned 63 Warriors appearances and scored 18 goals, placing him among Zimbabwe’s leading international scorers.
For Scottland, therefore, this Champions League adventure is not simply about having an experienced player in the squad.
It is about having someone who has already been there.
Someone who knows what a Champions League knockout tie feels like. Someone who has experienced the pressure of a final. Someone who has lifted the trophy — and someone who has also experienced the pain of losing one.
The question now is whether that experience can translate into continental success for Scottland.
Can Billiat’s Champions League pedigree, international experience and current form make the difference for Mabviravira?
For Zimbabwe’s fifth-highest international goalscorer, another African chapter awaits. And Scottland may be counting on him to write it. As he is the only zimbabwean player playing locally to have won the champions league and played in two finals.
