‘Chiyangwa used to be our benefactor’

◆ learnt as well as experiences that I gathered and look back at, no doubt.

“There is so much politics at the club. Pressure comes from all angles, ranging from players who think they are better than you to the multitude of supporters who are believed to be more than seven million.

“Leading a pack of good players such as (Vitalis) Takawira, (Claudius) Zviripayi, whom I believe to be among the best players ever to don the Dynamos jersey, Tauya Murewa, Francis Shonhayi and a host of others, I had to be strong.

“However, not all decisions that I made as the Dynamos FC captain were popular with the rest of the players. I also faced a problem with players asking me to go to the executive and demand money in spite of results.

“I would reason that we do not have the basis of argument since the team will not be playing well. That was very unpopular with some of the senior players.

“‘We need more money. The ground (stadium) was packed last weekend’, some of them would reason. I would tell them that I would look stupid in the eyes of the executive demanding money when results were not coming.

“I always put the interests of the players and the club first where there were reasons to complain or raise the red flag with the executive, I would gladly do so. In all this I had the future of the club in mind and would not tolerate anything that threatened to destroy it.’’

Mucherahowa says he wasn’t a selfish person.

“Had I been a selfish person, I think I would be one of the richest people in Zimbabwe,” he says in his book.

“I received money from a number of businessmen such as Higson Hamandawana, Philip Chiyangwa, Victor Nyaumwe, Victor Mandaza and Philip Mugadza.

“I would take the money to the players and we would share equally. In 2000, ahead of the Madison Trophy final against the now defunct Amazulu, Philip Chiyangwa gave me money to give to the boys to motivate them and it was shared equally.

“I did not know Chiyangwa on personal terms, but just as a Dynamos FC supporter. I asked him to give the boys something to motivate them ahead of the match.

“He asked me to come to his car, opened the boot and took out Z$20 000 to give to the boys. ‘Go and win boys. If you win I will give you more,’ he said.

“Years later Chiyangwa, the philanthropist and businessman would be at the helm of ZIFA, the football mother body in Zimbabwe, and I was not surprised after having known that he was passionate about the local game from way back in the day when I was still in the nation of Zimbabwe.

“If I was selfish, like some of my teammates, I could have just taken the money for my personal use. I shared it equally among the players. Even Simon Chuma, who was injured, got his share. No room for selfishness in leadership. Be the people’s servant.”

Tomorrow, Memory Mucherahowa talks about bitter rivals CAPS United, the Green Machine’s 1996 All-Star team and the bitter rivalry between the capital’s two biggest football clubs. Don’t miss your copy of The Herald