Benjani ends Zimbabwe career

Zimbabwe captain Benjani Mwaruwari has announced his retirement from international football following the Warriors' disappointing goalless draw at home to Cape Verde on Sunday.

Mwaruwaru told the state owned daily, The Herald , that after some serious introspection he had decided it was time to end his international career.

"I am 32 years now and I am coming to the end of my career, both at club level and with the national team, because you cannot play forever in this game.

"When you get to my age, there are options that come to mind because it's hard to balance the challenges of international football and club football.

"I still have a few more years playing club football, but I feel that I have done my part, for my country, and it's sad that things just didn't work out the way we wanted and probably I didn't get the number of goals that the supporters wanted me to score.

"Just like the fans, I wanted to win things with the Warriors and I always tried very hard. Even when luck was not on my side at times, and I understand the criticism in some quarters because that is the way football is and you take the good with the bad.

"I was fully committed to the team and I went out of my way, on a number of occasions, to try and get things done because I had a passion for the Warriors and I wanted us to succeed," Mwaruwari told The Herald.

The Blackburn forward shook his head as he was substituted in the 65th minute during Sunday's game. He had managed to silence the fans boos early in the game with a couple of good runs.

But it was a largely ineffectual performance by the captain and the fans cheered in agreement as he was substitute.

Despite nearly a decade of service to the Warriors Mwaruwari has never really won over the fans, many of whom criticize him for not being as effective as his predecessor Peter Ndlovu.

But he insisted he was not bitter: "When you have played the game as long as I have done you get to understand criticism and you live with it and I don't have any problem with anyone, including the fans who were not happy with me, because I understand their frustrations," he said.