Benjani Mwaruwari could hardly be further removed from your typical Pep Guardiola-type player.
But long before Manchester City’s all-conquering manager made the Etihad his own, the Zimbabwe striker had already earned cult status in these parts.
Before Abu Dhabi riches, before silverware galore, Benjani had secured a place in the hearts of every City fan by silencing the red half of Manchester.
His derby goal in a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in 2008 will forever remain his most notable contribution to the club. And even on a night when the Etihad came together to celebrate the career of a bona fide legend in Vincent Kompany, they showed their appreciation for their former striker, even before he entered the action.
The sight of the 41-year-old emerging from the dugout prompted chants of “Benjani oooooooh! He comes from Zimbabwe. And scored on derby day!”
Guardiola – managing the City Legends – waited until the 71st minute to introduce the hitman.
And how it paid off as he rose in the final minute to send a towering header past Shay Given and send the Etihad into raptures as he earned a 2-2 draw.
As if it wasn’t bad enough that Kompany had to sit out his own testimonial due to a hamstring injury, he looked like having to watch on as City succumbed to defeat.
To make matters worse, the likes of Manchester United men Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs and Robin van Persie were having a ball. A no-look pass from Scholes midway through the second half was a sublime piece of magic. Van Persie’s curled goal from the edge of the area just after the break – a reminder of when United ruled the city.
How different to start of the night when Martin Petrov burst past Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher before rifling the ball into the roof of Edwin Van der Sar’s net.
At that point – with Sergio Aguero and David Silva among a host current players in the home side’s starting XI, thoughts turned to a potential landslide.
But the Premier League All Stars XI was full proven winners, determined not to be embarrassed. The scores were level on 31 minutes. Van Persie, having just forced a one-on-one save from Joe Hart, laid on for Robbie Keane to score from close range.
The Dutchman, who famously turned down City to join United and hand Sir Alex Ferguson his final Premier League title, put the All Stars ahead just three minutes after half time with a typically clinical finish. With the clock running down, it looked like being the decisive moment.
That was until a certain Benjani climbed high above Carragher, nodded his header powerfully into the turf and beyond the outstretched arm of Given.
It prompted raucous celebrations from the 51,000 crowd and a handshake from Guardiola for the night’s unlikely hero.
