For Seven Days, After Chivayo’s Death, The Number Seven Kept Dominating a Sport He Loved
Written By: Robson Sharuko | Published: October 8, 2026 | 4 min read
The Bible tells us that on the SEVENTH day, God rested. That’s what Genesis 2:2-3 tells us and, from that moment, the number SEVEN takes a special place in religion and, in a way, in our lives. It represents the Sabbath and the Muslim pilgrims walk around the Kaaba in Mecca SEVEN times during the Hajj. There are SEVEN days in a week and there are SEVEN colours in a rainbow.
Yesterday marked the SEVENTH day since the helicopter crash near Marondera, which killed businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy. Their aide Saneliswe Magagula and two pilots—Calvin Tafirei Soda and Courage Mutavirwa—also died in the same crash.
A Different Kind of Faith
Chivayo was quite a religious man. He was a prominent member of the Johane Masowe yeChishanu and loved to share his religious adventures with his huge army of social media followers. Sometimes, he even jokingly called himself “Mukuru Wemazuva.”
But, Chivayo was always different—in life just like in death.
A Passion for the Beautiful Game
Beyond his business and religious life, Chivayo profoundly loved FOOTBALL. His financial muscle altered the landscape of the local game across the country's biggest clubs.
He was a major sponsor of champions Scottland and a critical benefactor of Highlanders, who revealed that in the past two years alone, he had poured more than US$2 million into their coffers.
The Bizarre Sequence of 7s
In the last SEVEN days since his death, a bizarre number of events—dominated entirely by the number SEVEN—have unfolded in the game which he loved with so much passion.
Local Football Sevens
In action the day he died, they beat Mauritius 6-1 on Tuesday. Total goals over both legs? SEVEN.
He was key to this US$25m cup. Quarter-finals produced exactly SEVEN goals. Three matches went to shootouts, and exactly SEVEN penalties were missed.
International 7-Goal Thrashings
Crashed to their biggest defeat in history in a SEVEN goal humiliation by England.
Guided by Marc Sanchez (who also coached the Young Warriors), Spain won 7-1 against Romania.
France beat Switzerland 7-1, and Austria beat Wales 7-1.
MK Dons, a usually low-scoring team, scored SEVEN times in a 7-1 win over Brentford U21.
Global Superstars & Rugby
His iconic number SEVEN jersey was officially given to Rafael Leao.
Argentina waved goodbye to Messi days after scoring SEVEN goals against Burkina Faso.
Chivayo loved Cape Town. The local rugby side just named SEVEN Springboks for their first game of the season.
An Eerie Sporting Farewell
Whether viewed through the lens of faith, coincidence, or the sheer mathematical oddity of global sports statistics, the number seven's domination over the past week serves as a strangely fitting farewell to a man who lived a larger-than-life narrative.
As Wicknell Chivayo is laid to rest at Glen Forest on this seventh day, his massive financial footprints remain firmly planted across Zimbabwe’s biggest football institutions, ensuring his name—and perhaps this bizarre sequence of sevens—will be discussed in local sporting circles for years to come.
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