CLUB CAREER
[edit]Early career
[edit]Grasshopper and Auxerre
This transfer from Auxerre to Portsmouth in January 2006 is one of those about which the
Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns:
“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.” “In relation to Benjani’s transfer, the enquiry also has identified concerns regarding the role of (agent) Teni Yerima and (third party) Ralph N’Komo”.
[3] [edit]Portsmouth
After failing to score in his first fourteen games for the club, Benjani finally got his first goal for Portsmouth against
Wigan Athleticon 29 April 2006 in a 2–1 victory which saw Portsmouth avoid relegation from the
Premier League.
[4] On 29 September 2007, Benjani scored his first hat-trick for Portsmouth in a 7–4 win over
Reading, which broke the record for the most 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.
Portsmouth boss
Harry Redknapp banned Benjani from taking any further penalties after he missed a spot-kick in second-half injury time in a home game against
West Ham United.
[5]He then made amends for his miss scoring in the 4–1 victory over
Newcastle United to bring his total to eight for the season. He then scored his ninth of the season, albeit 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.
Benjani's goalscoring form during the first half of the
2007–08 season 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 (supposedly due to his falling asleep at the airport), meaning he did not arrive at the clubs training ground until 11.10pm, leaving insufficient time to complete a move before the midnight deadline.
[6] Portsmouth had already confirmed the signing of Benjani's replacement,
Jermain Defoe, for a fee in the region of £9 million from
Tottenham Hotspur, with the impending sale of Benjani supposedly funding the majority of the transfer.
[edit]Manchester City
A transfer was completed for Benjani to move to
Manchester City on 5 February 2008 for a fee of £3.87 million on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
[7]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 wage is reported at £50,000 a week
[7] His debut came on 10 February 2008 against rivals
Manchester United in a 2–1 victory to City. He scored the second goal from a header in his first
Manchester derby. His first goal at the
City of Manchester Stadium was ironically against his former club Portsmouth on 20 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 been so good to him. His next goal came in the 3–2 home loss against
Fulham.
After a lengthy thigh injury, Benjani made a goal scoring return for the reserves, before following this up days later by making an impact as a second half
substitute, scoring what would be the winning goal in City's 3–2 win over
FC Twente. He scored again in the
UEFA Cup with an away goal against
FC Schalke 04. His former club Portsmouth were fined £15,000 for his transfer to and from the club, after they were found to have breached transfer rules.
[8]Under new Manchester City manager
Roberto Mancini Benjani started his first game of the 2009–10 season in a third round
FA Cup tie away to
Middlesbrough on 2 January 2010, during which he scored the only goal just before half time in a 1–0 win.
[13][edit]Sunderland (loan)
On 2 February 2010, Benjani moved to
Sunderland on loan until the end of the season, after the Premier League confirmed that the paperwork had been completed before the transfer deadline.
[15] On 18 May 2010,
Steve Bruce confirmed that Benjani would not be offered a permanent deal.
[16][edit]Blackburn Rovers
After a month of being a free agent and considering his options, it was revealed that Benjani was training with
Premier League team
Blackburn Rovers in the hopes of earning a deal with the club.
[17]On 27 August, Benjani signed a one-year deal with Blackburn Rovers, with an option of a further year at
Ewood Park. He made his debut, in a 1–1 draw, against
Fulham, at Ewood Park, on 18 September, replacing
Nikola Kalinic in the 65th minute of the game. He made his first start for Blackburn versus
Aston Villa in the third round of the
League Cup, at
Villa Park on 22 September.
[18] He scored the first goal, a glancing header, in Blackburn's home game to
Chelsea, on 30 October in the 21st minute, in a 2–1 defeat playing 46 minutes and being substituted by fellow striker
Jason Roberts. He made his 10th appearance for the club as a substitute against
West Ham United in a 1–1 draw on 18 December. Also against West Ham he miss kicked a clear shooting opportunity which fell to captain and
New Zealand skipper
Ryan Nelsenwho also sliced it but in the end he scored with the ball deflecting in off his thigh. On 5 January 2011, he scored two goals against
Liverpool in a 3–1 win at
Ewood Park.
On 21 July 2011, Benjani declined the new contract terms offered to him by Rovers and left the club.
[19] In August 2011, he began training with
Conference National side
Stockport County who are managed by Benjani's former Manchester City team mate
Dietmar Hamann. On 9 August it was announced that County had offered a contract to the player.
[20][edit]Return to Portsmouth
On 13 August 2011 (his 33rd birthday), it was announced that Benjani had re-signed for Portsmouth. He was unveiled to the crowd at
Fratton Park before the
Championship clash against
Brighton after signing a one-year deal. His first match was against Reading on 16 August 2011 as a 75th minute substitute.
[21] He scored his first goal in his second spell for Portsmouth in a 3-2 defeat at home to Peterborough United on 27 September 2011.
[22][EDIT]INTERNATIONAL CAREER
Benjani retired from international football on 11 October 2010, following Zimbabwe's 0–0 draw with
Cape Verde
