Benjani Mwaruwari

Benjamin in the jersey of Manchester City (2008)

Benjamin Mwaruwari ( born August 13, 1978 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe), known as Benjani, is a Zimbabwean footballer who is employed as a striker.

Career

Clubs

Mwaruwari played from 1999 to 2001 in the South African first division club Jomo Cosmos, then joined the Swiss first division club Grasshoppers Zurich and played on the 2002/03 season at AJ Auxerre. In the 2004/05 season he scored eleven goals in 31 Premier League matches. With this balance, he was one of the best scorers in the league. He moved from Portsmouth to Manchester City on 5 February 2008.

Early February 2010, moved Mwaruwari remainder of the season on loan at Sunderland AFC.

His contract was not renewed at Manchester City in the summer of 2010, after which he left the club. Shortly thereafter, he joined Blackburn Rovers, where he signed a one year contract with an option for another year. Since he rejected the terms for a new contract in July 2011, he left the club after just one year and returned for a year to Portsmouth.

In the spring of 2013 he was commissioned by the South African first division side Chippa United. For the new season, he moved to Bidvest Wits.

National

2001 Mwaruwari was elected in South Africa Footballer of the Year. He belongs to the current squad of the national team of Zimbabwe and has since his debut on 16 June 1999 so far contested 33 matches in which he scored nine goals.