Benjani Mwaruwari is regarded as one of the best Zimbabwean footballers to have graced the PSL during a short stint with Jomo Cosmos before making a big move to Europe, where he played in Switzerland, France, and England. The former Zimbabwe captain rose to prominence in the early 2000s and never looked back after leaving the PSL for greener pastures donning the colours of famous European clubs such as Grasshoppers, Auxerre, Portsmouth, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers. Benjani took time-off from his busy schedule, as a youth coach at Plymouth Argyle Academy in England, to take a stroll down memory lane on his illustrious career with Soccer Laduma’s Mikia Kalati.
Mikia Kalati: Benjani, you were an instant hit in the PSL after joining Jomo Cosmos, and within no time you were turning heads in Europe.
Benjani Mwaruwari: Look, when I came from Zimbabwe to South Africa, I found myself playing in a very solid team with good mentorship in legendary Jomo Sono and it was very easy to make an immediate impact. It was easy for me to make a name for myself based on the quality of players that surrounded me in that Cosmos team. I didn’t take time to gel with my teammates because, when you have quality players around you, it becomes very easy to shine. I mean, there was Manuel ‘Tico Tico’ Bucuane, MacBeth Sibaya, Teboho Mokoena, Godfrey Sapula, Jabulani Mendu. Every player in that team had what it takes to play abroad.
