Having supported Manchester City since birth, it’s almost impossible to select my cult hero. Current names such as Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero obviously spring to mind, and although these two magical players have undoubtedly cemented themselves in City folklore, there is one player who we purchased before our takeover who holds a personal hero status for me.
Benjani Mwaruwari (commonly known simply as ‘Benjani’) was signed on the 5 February 2008 for- what now seems like -a meagre £3.87 million from south-coast side Portsmouth. He had notched 19 goals in 70 appearances for the then-FA Cup holders Pompey, proving that he could cut it in the Premier League. He would eventually re-join Portsmouth in 2011 after spells at both Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers, scoring the one goal in 18 showings on his second outing there.
I’m by no means maintaining that the Zimbabwe international was the best player to ever set foot on the Eastland’s turf; but I was a huge admirer of Benjani, and I suspect I am not the only one. He was frequently there when you needed him most; scoring vital goals during some of the largest games and becoming, if you like, a ‘mini City legend’; perhaps even a replica of Edin Dzeko with his ability to perform on the biggest stage.
He didn’t possess the same goal-scoring record as the likes of Nicolas Anelka or Sergio Aguero; but the seven goals that he did score at City were ones of paramount importance and brought sincere joy to the City fans; including me.
The date was Sunday, 10 February 2008 (just five days after Benjani had put pen to paper at City). It was his first game for the club- against none other than bitter rivals Manchester United at a packed Old Trafford. The only current City player that was playing in that game was Joe Hart; alongside other classic names including Darius Vassell; Stephen Ireland and Didi Hamann. Benjani started up front for the Blues alongside Vassell.
An emotional minute’s silence was observed before the game in respect of the Munich Air Disaster of 1958, with both managers laying down wreaths in what was a historical game as a whole city came together. The occasion showed what a beautiful game football is. But it was also an occasion where even the most unlikely of players would become a City legend in the eyes of many fans.
A Darius Vassell strike had put City ahead in the 25th minute, before our lead was doubled by the man this whole article is about…
A menacing Martin Petrov cross from the wing was met by a superb glancing Benjani header which evaded Edwin Van Der Sar in the United goal and flew into the corner of the net. The City fans turned ecstatic as the African wielded away in delight, sporting his famous ‘pointing’ celebration which didn’t go down too well with the nearby rival fans closer to the pitch!
But it was a joy to watch from a City point of view as we silenced the 75,000-strong crowd with a resilient display; and Benjani was at the heart of it. Many fans forget that this was his debut for Manchester City, on which he bagged a goal in the derby and sent City on our way with all three points.
You couldn’t ask for much more.
This was at a time when we were very much living in United’s shadow, but even then; without the likes of Samir Nasri and Vincent Kompany; we were still able to put up a fight with players such as Benjani, who deserve to be remembered for what they brought to the club when we were by no means as powerful as we are now.
This wasn’t the only goal that Benjani scored for us. He netted his first home goal against former club Portsmouth in April 2008, before another in the 3-2 home defeat to Fulham a few weeks later.
He was also able to perform on the European stage, grabbing a goal against FC Schalke in the UEFA Cup, as well as a strike against FC Twente in the same competition against the Dutch giants. And remember that strike against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup 3rd round in 2010? The African scored the only goal of that game as City progressed at a ground where they had previously lost 8-1 under Sven-Goran Eriksson. If you wanted to be a pessimistic City fan you could easily recall these darker moments in the club’s past, but it is hard to forget Benjani’s monumental involvement in a number of other cherished City games, including THAT derby.
Benjani was a player that possessed great strength and a surprising amount of pace for a relatively tall striker. He was a great addition to the squad when we did not have the same resources at our disposal, but I’m sure the club never regret taking him on after all of the joy he brought to the City of Manchester stadium.
He also holds a degree of personal preference for me after I received a birthday card from him for my 11th birthday, signed by the man himself! His signature even included his iconic shirt number ‘27’!
Often a forgotten player, but Benjani is my City hero.
Let us know who yours is by commenting or tweeting us @TheMaineBlues.
