Benjamin "Alessio" Mwaruwari, commonly known as Benjani, (born 13 August 1978 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) is a footballer currently playing for Manchester City. He was born to parents of Malawian descent and has chosen to represent his nation of birth, Zimbabwe, internationally. is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... The City of Bulawayo is highlighted in this map of Zimbabwe. ... “Soccer” redirects here. ... Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. ...

Early career

Benjani began his career at the Lulu Rovers and University of Zimbabwe teams in Zimbabwe's Division one and Air Zimbabwe Jets in the country's Premier League in 1999. He moved to South African club Jomo Cosmos in 1999 where he met his mentor Jomo Sono, after impressing in the friendly match between South Africa and Zimbabwe that was played to commomerate the inauguration of Thabo Mbeki as the president of South Africa.^{[citation needed]} This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Matsilela Ephraim Sono (affectionately known as Jomo Sono and sometimes also called the Black Prince of South African Soccer) (17 July 1955 - ) is a South African soccer club owner and coach and was also a star soccer player. ... Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki ,KStJ [2][3] (born June 18, 1942)[2] is the current President of the Republic of South Africa. ...

In 2001 he was voted Footballer of the Year in South Africa alongside Siyabonga Nomvete despite only having joined the South African Premiership in the second half of the season.^{[citation needed]} Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Europe

Benjani moved to Grasshoppers Zürich of Switzerland on loan in 2001. In 2002, Guy Roux took him to AJ Auxerre of France. Benjani had a good run at the start, capitalising from Djibril Cissé's absence, becoming top goalscorer in Ligue 1. Roux never played the two together, and eventually Benjani found himself surplus to requirements under Roux's successor, Jacques Santini, this time forced out of the 4-5-1 formation by Luigi Pieroni. On 5 January 2006 English Premiership club Portsmouth signed him from Auxerre for £4.1 million after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recommended the player to Harry Redknapp.^[1] Grasshopper-Club Zürich, also referred to as Grasshopper(s), GC Zurich, or simply GCZ, is a football club from Zurich, Switzerland. ... Guy Roux (born 18 October 1938) is a former French football player and manager known for being in charge of French side AJ Auxerre for the remarkable period of more than forty years and for leading the once humble amateur team to nation- and worldwide prominence. ... Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise, or AJ Auxerre, is a French football team, founded in 1905, playing in the town of Auxerre in Burgundy. ... Djibril Aruun Cissé (IPA: , born 12 August 1981 in Arles, France) is a French international football player of Ivorian descent who plays as a striker for both France and Olympique de Marseille. ... Ligue 1 (Première division or Division 1 until 2003, now called Ligue 1 Orange) is the top division of French and Monegasque football, one of two divisions making up the LFP, the other being Ligue 2. ... Jacques Santini Jacques Santini (born April 25, 1952 in Delle, France) is a former football player and now manager. ... Luigi Pieroni (born September 8, 1980 in Liège) is a Belgian football striker, currently playing for French team Lens. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays English Premier League for sponsorship reasons) comprises the top 20 football clubs in the league system of English football. ... Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast island city of Portsmouth. ...

This transfer from Auxerre to Portsmouth in January 2006 is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns: Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise, or AJ Auxerre, is a French football team, founded in 1905, playing in the town of Auxerre in Burgundy. ... Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast island city of Portsmouth. ... In 2006, several allegations were made of corruption in English football by sources inside and outside of the game. ...

“Agent Willie McKay acted for the selling club, Auxerre, in the transfer of Benjani and, for the same reason as above” {still awaiting clarification) “the inquiry is not prepared to clear these transfers at this stage.” Willie McKay is a Scottish football agent based in Monaco. ...

“In relation to Benjani’s transfer, the inquiry also has identified concerns regarding the role of (agent) Teni Yerima and (third party) Ralph N’Komo”^[2].

Portsmouth

After failing to score in his first fourteen games for the club, Benjani finally got his first goal for Portsmouth against Wigan Athletic on 29 April 2006 in a 2-1 victory which saw Portsmouth avoid relegation from the Premier League.^[3] Benjani has been criticised by some due to a lack of goals,^{[citation needed]} while others disagree, pointing to his work ethic and intelligent link-up play.^{[citation needed]} Regardless, he scored six goals in the 2006-07 season. He then started the next season with goals in the opening two games, at Derby County and at home to champions Manchester United. On 29 September 2007, Benjani scored his first hat-trick for Portsmouth in an incredible 7-4 win over Reading, which broke the record for both the number of goals scored in a Premier League match, and a league match shown on Match of the Day. After Portsmouth's visit to Wigan on 20 October, Benjani became the Premier League's top scorer. Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional football team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... The new Wembley Stadium was completed in time for the 2006-07 seasons FA Cup Final. ... Current season Derby County Football Club are an English football club based in Derby. ... Manchester United Football Club are a world-famous English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and are one of the most popular sports clubs in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Reading Football Club are an association football club, based in the English town of Reading, in Berkshire. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... For the Doctor Who novel, see Match of the Day (Doctor Who). ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp banned Benjani from taking any further penalties after Mwaruwari missed a spot-kick in second-half injury time in a home game against West Ham United.^[4] He then made amends for his miss scoring in the 4-1 victory over Newcastle United to bring his total to eight this season. He then scored his ninth of the season, albeit it was a consolation goal in a 4-1 defeat at Liverpool. On 19 January 2008, Benjani earned his second Portsmouth hat-trick, scoring all of his side's goals in a 3-1 victory over Derby County at Fratton Park. This took his tally for the season to 12 and subsequently resulted in him revising his target for the season, which had been 10. Henry James Harry Redknapp (born March 2, 1947) is an English former footballer who has had a long career in football management and is the current manager of Portsmouth in the English Premier League. ... For the Australian club, see Newcastle United Jets. ... Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Fratton Park is the home stadium of Portsmouth F.C., and is situated in the English city-port of Portsmouth. ...

Benjani's goalscoring form during the first half of the 2007/08 cemented Manchester City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson's interest in the striker, and on 31 January 2008 he had a bid of around £8m accepted for the transfer of the player. However, it was revealed that Benjani had missed two successive planes to Manchester, meaning he didn't arrive at the clubs training ground until 11.10pm, leaving insufficient time to complete a move before the midnight deadline.^[5] Portsmouth had already confirmed the signing of Benjani's replacement, Jermain Defoe for a fee in the region of £9,000,000 from Tottenham Hotspur, with the impending sale of Benjani supposedly funding the majority of the transfer. Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. ...   (IPA: , born 5 February 1948) is a Swedish football manager. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... For other places with the same name, see Portsmouth (disambiguation). ... Jermain Colin Defoe (born 7 October 1982 in Beckton, London) is an English footballer of Saint Lucian and Dominican descent. ... Tottenham Hotspur F.C. is a North London association football team, also known by the nickname Spurs. ...

Manchester City

A transfer was completed for Benjani to move to Manchester City on 5 February 2008 for a fee of £3.87 million. Further payments could be made if the player makes up to 75 senior starts which would raise the fee to a total of £7.6 million. His debut came on 10 February 2008 against rival Manchester United in a 2-1 victory to City. He scored the second goal from a header in his first Manchester derby.^[6]. Ironically this meant that he helped Man City move above his former club, Portsmouth, after they beat Bolton 1-0 the day before. His first goal at the City of Manchester Stadium was ironically against his former club Portsmouth on the 20th April 2008, although Benjani refused to celebrate after the goal out of respect for his former club, stating in a post match interview that he would never celebrate a goal against Portsmouth because the club and its fans had be so good to him. Manchester City F.C. is a football club based in Manchester, United Kingdom. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Manchester United Football Club are a world-famous English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and are one of the most popular sports clubs in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide. ... The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. ... The City of Manchester Stadium (also known as COMS or Eastlands) is a sports venue in Manchester, England. ... For other places with the same name, see Portsmouth (disambiguation). ... Benjamin Benjani Mwaruwari (born 13 August 1978 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe), is a footballer. ... For other places with the same name, see Portsmouth (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Apart from being the plural of fan, Fans may refer to: Fans (webcomic), a webcomic by T Campbell Future Air Navigation System is an air traffic control scheme from ICAO also known as CNS/ATM Category: ...

International football

He is the current Zimbabwe national team captain, having taken the armband from Peter Ndlovu after the 2006 African Cup of Nations. Peter Ndlovu (born February 25, 1973 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) is a football striker. ... The 2006 African Cup of Nations was the 25th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa (CAF). ...

Benjani is the third Zimbabwean to play in the English Premiership after goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar and Ndlovu. In 2003, he became the first Zimbabwean to score in the UEFA Champions League.^{[citation needed]} Bruce David Grobbelaar (born October 6, 1957 in Durban, South Africa) is a former football goalkeeper for Zimbabwe and a number of clubs, most notably Liverpool F.C. during their dominant 1980s period. ... European Cup redirects here. ...

Benjani is a key figure in the development of football in Zimbabwe.^{[citation needed]} During the run up to the 2006 African Cup of Nations, he provided the funding for the senior national team's stay in France when they were preparing for the African soccer showcase.^{[citation needed]}

Many Zimbabwean journalists, including Fidel M. Bondamakara, are of the view that Benjani's contributions will go a long way in upgrading Zimbabwean soccer standards.^{[citation needed]} After Zimbabwe's failure to qualify for the 2008 African Cup of Nations he is expected to spearhead the campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in neighbouring South Africa.^{[citation needed]} The 2008 African Cup of Nations will be the 26th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa. ... The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, an international tournament for football, that is scheduled to take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010 in South Africa. ...

Name

In the Ngonde language, his name should read Mwaluwali but because the Shona language uses 'R' in place of 'L', since 'L' is not part of Shona alphabet, his name now reads Mwaruwari.^{[citation needed]} This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... ShonaThe word Shona is derived from the Ndebele word itshonalanga(where the sun set)(or ChiShona) is native language of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify those Bantu-language speaking peoples in Southern Africa who speak one of the Shona languages(dialects) namely Zezuru,Karanga...

Notes and references

tra, Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• BBC profile
• Benjamin Mwaruwari career stats at Soccerbase