Claudius Zviripayi
| Claudius Zviripayi | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Occupation |
|
| Employer | Dynamos Football Club |
| Notable work |
|
| Children | Michelle (late) |
Claudius Zviripayi is a former Zimbabwean footballer who played for local clubs including Dynamos Football Club and also for the national team now called the Warriors. He is one of the players who played for Dynamos when the team reached the finals of the CAF African Club Championships.
Football career
Zviripayi played for Dynamos for the better part of his career. He was part of the Dynamos team that reached the finals of the CAF Clubs Championships finals in 1998 alongside team-mates such as Gift Muzadzi, Memory Mucherahowa, Callisto Pasuwa, Ian Gorowa among others. He also played for the Zimbabwe national team. Zviripayi is said to have left the country at the turn of the century for United Kingdom where he was said to have taken up nursing as a profession together fellow former footballer Ernest Chirambadare.[1]
In 1999 CAPS United Football Club were interested in signing Zviripayi from Arcadia United for the 1999 season which was due to start in May of that year. He was one of the seven players who were transfer-listed by Dynamos after sneaking out of camp to attend a braai hosted by a team faithful on the eve of the Champion of Champions final. Dynamos went on to lose the match 5-0 to Zimbabwe Saints Football Club. Although the others, Ernest Masango, Tichaona Murehwa, and Masimba Dinyero apologised to the club and were reinstated, Zviripayi refused to apologise, and was then loaned out to Arcadia United.[2]
Trivia: Zviripayi or Takawira?
At Dynamos, Zviripayi played alongside his younger brother, Vitalis Takawira, who was nicknamed "Digital".
For years, there was confusion over the siblings' different surnames, which led some football fans to doubt that there were related.
Speaking in early 2022, Vitalis and Claudius' younger brother, Vincent Takawira revealed that an error by staff at the Registrar General's office caused the confusion.[3] Said Vincent:
When Claudius and Vitalis went to register for their identity cards, they had to take our dad’s identity particulars as required.
The registry clerk at the local issuing office correctly entered Vitalis’ first name with our father’s (Nicholas) surname which is Takawira but wrongly entered Claudius’ surname as Zviripayi which is our father’s middle name.
So that’s how Vitalis was known as Takawira and Claudius as Zviripayi.
References
- ↑ , Zimbabwe suffering in 'brawn drain',BBC Sports, published:12 Feb 2001,retrieved:3 Mar 2015"
- ↑ [1], allAfrica, Published: 14 March, 1999, Accessed: 18 August, 2020
- ↑ Charles Mabika, Mystery behind Vitalis, Claudius surnames solved, Herald Zimbabwe, Published: 17 February 2022, Retrieved 27 July 2022
