Former Warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari has embarked on his coaching journey with an opportunity to work with English Championship side Plymouth Argyle’s junior teams. Mwaruwari earned this role after the club considered several candidates and is now honing his coaching skills under the guidance of some of the top academy coaches at Plymouth Argyle.
Having spent four months in the role, Mwaruwari has been actively involved with coaching players aged between Under 13s and Under 18s. This marks a fresh start for Mwaruwari after his brief stint as head coach for Ngezi Platinum Stars, where he was appointed in 2022 to replace Rodwell Dhlakama. Despite his efforts, which saw Ngezi playing 13 matches, winning three, drawing six, and losing four, the club opted to part ways with the former Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers star.
With returning to England, Mwaruwari will now focus on grassroots coaching, aiming to refine his skills further. Plymouth Argyle’s academy manager, Phil Stokes, explained that Benjani Mwaruwari was recruited as part of the players-to-coaches scheme, a joint initiative by the Professional Footballers Association, the Premier League, and the English Football League. Stokes expressed the club’s delight in having Mwaruwari on board and highlighted his positive impact on the forwards.
Benjani Mwaruwari, is hopeful of following the path of former Bafana Bafana striker Bennie McCarthy, who serves as a strikers’ coach at Manchester United, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn from Plymouth Argyle coaches. He emphasized his commitment to improving his coaching skills and gaining more experience, particularly in coaching academy players.
With a UEFA A License already under his belt, Mwaruwari aims to further his qualifications by obtaining the Pro License, as he continues his journey in coaching.