Highlanders' costly 'No' to Chivayo and Benjani

The recent back-and-forth between Highlanders FC and businessman Wicknell Chivayo over the proposed appointment of former Warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari as head coach has unfolded like a slow-motion sporting disaster.

Highlanders' decision to politely reject an offer that reportedly included a limitless personal bank balance for Benjani's expenses and a substantial sponsorship package for the club may go down as one of the most costly self-inflicted setbacks in their modern history - an astounding act of pride in a moment demanding pragmatism.

The just-concluded Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season was nothing short of traumatic for Zimbabwe's traditional giants - Highlanders, Dynamos and CAPS United - all of whom survived relegation only on the final day.

This was not a mere blip. It was a loud alarm. Zimbabwean football has transformed into a financial battleground dominated by a new class of well-funded clubs such as FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum Stars, Simba Bhora and the 2025 champions, Scottland FC. These teams have repeatedly shown that sustained financial power often translates directly into success.

While the traditional giants lean on history and identity, newer clubs with deep pockets are reshaping the landscape. Highlanders, the country's oldest top-flight team, last lifted the league title in 2006 - 19 long, painful years ago.

The truth is unavoidable: money now outweighs legacy. With more financially robust clubs on the rise, the risk of one of the traditional giants slipping into permanent decline - a blow the sport might never recover from - becomes more real by the day.

Against that backdrop, Highlanders' response, citing internal processes and procedures, appears thin and short-sighted when measured against the scale of Chivayo's proposal. This was more than a coaching recommendation; it was a comprehensive financial rescue package that could have secured the club's future.

The argument that the offer threatened the club's culture collapses under scrutiny. Highlanders have previously worked with foreign coaches such as Pieter de Jongh and Baltemar Brito without compromising their identity. To invoke "culture" now, while staring at the possibility of relegation in the club's centenary year in 2026, is an unconvincing defence of organisational inertia.

Benjani's potential value was enormous. His extensive experience across Europe - from Manchester City to Portsmouth and Auxerre - could have helped introduce the structures and standards Highlanders desperately need. He is not a stranger to local football either, having performed respectably at Ngezi Platinum Stars, with their title-winning coach Takesure Chiragwi openly acknowledging the foundation he laid.

But the real game-changer was the blank-cheque financial backing. Such support could have helped Highlanders retain key players like Andrew Mbeba, already targeted by wealthier clubs, and build a squad capable of competing for honours, not merely survival.

Chivayo's offer was not an attempt to meddle in Highlanders' politics. It was an effort to strengthen a club whose footballing legacy he wished to uphold — placing a respected Zimbabwean football icon with global exposure at the helm.

As Bosso prepares to mark 100 years in 2026 - a milestone deserving of triumph, not turmoil - they have turned away precisely what they needed: financial stability and elite mentorship.

It is sobering to imagine the possibility of Highlanders battling relegation, or even going down, in their centenary year. The club could have taken time to study the offer, set performance-based conditions, and negotiate safeguards. Instead, they walked away.

Credit must still go to Chivayo for his willingness to support one of Zimbabwe's storied institutions. One can only hope his goodwill toward Highlanders endures in other forms.

For now, however, the club's refusal of this far-reaching proposal feels like a devastating case of self-sabotage.

In today's PSL - driven by money, ambition and structural investment - Highlanders needed Chivayo more than they realised.