In a detailed opinion column published by Herald.co.zw, veteran journalist Sharuko reflects on his decade-long relationship with the late businessman Wicknell Chivayo, detailing his complex entry into Zimbabwean football administration, his substantial financial investments in national teams, and the striking numerical coincidences that followed his death.
From Mainstream Football Outsider to Million-Dollar Backer
Ten years ago, Wicknell Chivayo began calling the columnist almost daily after stepping into the trenches of mainstream Zimbabwean football administration. Sharuko writes that Chivayo had just struck a US$1 million personal sponsorship deal with Philip Chiyangwa, sealed on a single piece of paper following Chiyangwa’s election as ZIFA president. Though Chivayo initially appeared unfamiliar with basic football mechanics—such as the number of permitted substitutes—his financial commitment quickly quashed any doubts.
In February of that year, Chivayo purchased a brand-new US$75 000 Toyota Hilux D4D truck for Warriors coach Kalisto Pasuwa and acquired a similar vehicle for Mighty Warriors coach Shadreck Mlauzi. That same year, Mlauzi and his Mighty Warriors made history by becoming the first, and only, Zimbabwean national football team to compete at the Olympic Games. Chivayo’s financial lifeline to clubs also included approximately US$2 million poured into Highlanders over the past two years. The columnist recalls that during their meetings, Chivayo spoke 90 percent of the time, often acknowledging the journalist’s superior knowledge of the sport.
The Tragic Helicopter Crash and Tributes in Gletwyn
The column notes that Chivayo died exactly 10 years after his initial splash into football administration, on the very day a national team was involved in an Olympic Games qualifier. Benjani Mwaruwari was notably granted leave from his duties at Bosso to attend the burial.
The Recurring Presence of the Number Seven
Sharuko draws attention to a series of numerical coincidences surrounding the number seven in the wake of Chivayo’s death. The remains of the businessman and his wife were brought to their Gletwyn mansion on the seventh day after the helicopter crash. Meanwhile, the Young Warriors completed a 6-1 aggregate win over Mauritius, bringing the total number of goals across both legs to seven. Furthermore, Chivayo was 43 years old at the time of his death, which adds up to seven when combining four and three. The columnist notes that this theme extended to international football, where France and Austria both secured 7-1 victories in their respective Euro Under-21 Championship matches.
Saving the 2022 World Cup Campaign
While Chivayo’s investments in vehicles and club finances remain prominent, Sharuko argues that his enduring legacy is his December 2015 intervention to pay US$180 000 owed to coach Tom Saintfiet. Saintfiet had been deported after taking charge of a single training session due to lacking a work permit and pursued compensation through FIFA.
The debt threatened Zimbabwe with expulsion from the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, mirroring the suspension from the 2018 qualifiers over an unresolved US$68 000 debt owed to Valinhos. With FIFA’s deadline looming and the football family lacking a solution, Chivayo provided the US$180 000 to clear the debt, safeguarding the nation’s participation exactly seven years after Valinhos signed a deal to become the Warriors coach.
