Benjamin “Alessio” Mwaruwari, commonly known as Benjani, is a Zimbabwean international football player who currently features for the English Premier League club Manchester City. He is a striker and is considered as the best player of Zimbabwean football.
Benjani received his first big break in 1999 when he was signed by Jomo Cosmos of South Africa. In 2002 after one year on loan to Swiss powerhouse Grasshoppers, he was signed by French side AJ Auxerre. He scored 39 goals in 72 league appearances for Auxerre and in 2006 was signed by Premiership side Portsmouth.
Benjani was a huge hit at Fratton Park as he managed 29 goals in 70 Premiership matches and was a crowd favourite at Pompey.
| Position | Forward |
| Height / weight | 1.82 m / |
| Born | 13 Aug 1978 |
| Nationality |
Zimbabwe
|
| Team History | |
Bidvest Wits
|
2013 - 2014 |
| Chippa United F.C. | 2012 - 2013 |
Portsmouth
|
2011 - 2012 |
Blackburn Rovers
|
2010 - 2011 |
Sunderland
|
2010 (loan) |
Man City
|
2008 - 2010 |
|
Portsmouth
|
2006 - 2008 |
Auxerre
|
2002 - 2006 |
|
Grasshopper-Club Zurich
|
2001 - 2002 (loan) |
|
Jomo Cosmos
|
1999 - 2002 |
Benjani completed his 4 million pound transfer from Portsmouth to Manchester City in February 2008 after a protracted winter transfer. He missed two successive flights from Portsmouth to Manchester on the last day of the winter transfer window and when he did reach there, there was insufficient time for the completion of the move. The issue was then transferred to concerned authorities who eventually game the green signal for the move to go ahead.
Benjani made quite an impression for Man City in the second half of the 2007-2008 season as he hit three goals in 13 Premiership matches.
Benjni made his international debut for Zimbabwe in 1998 and has scored 43 goals in 43 international matches for his nation so far. He is the current captain of Zimbabwe and has been so since the end of the 2006 African Cup of Nations.
