Singida Black Stars have moved to strengthen their defence for a demanding 2026/27 campaign by re-signing Nigerian international centre back Benjamin Tanimu on a two-year contract.
The 23-year-old returns to the Tanzanian Premier League side after spells in England and Morocco, in a move the club believes will reinforce their backline as they prepare for domestic and continental challenges.
Key signing ahead of regional and continental tests
Tanimu, who previously left Singida Black Stars in September 2024 to join English League One side Crawley Town, rejoins at a time when the club is building on one of the most successful seasons in its history.
After moving from Crawley Town, the defender continued his development in North Africa with Moroccan top-flight side Maghreb de Fes from July 2025, gaining further experience in the Botola Pro League.
Now, following close to two years abroad, he has chosen to return to Tanzania. His new two-year deal is viewed by club officials as a significant upgrade to their defensive options as they aim to compete more aggressively for silverware.
Tanimu’s comeback follows a 2025/26 campaign in which Singida Black Stars finished fourth in the NBC Premier League with 50 points, a tally that secured qualification for continental competition.
Immediate link-up in Kigali training camp
Following confirmation of the transfer, Tanimu has already joined his teammates in Kigali, Rwanda, where Singida Black Stars are holding their pre-season training camp.
The team arrived in the Rwandan capital earlier in the week and has begun intensive field sessions as part of preparations for the CECAFA Kagame Cup, which doubles as a key component of their build-up to the new NBC Premier League season.
Club Information Officer Hussein Massanza said preparations were progressing according to plan, with the technical staff concentrating on fitness, tactical structure and building cohesion among a reshaped squad.
Massanza said the regional tournament offers the club an ideal platform to assess its new arrivals, defend their CECAFA title and fine-tune the team before domestic fixtures get under way.
CECAFA Kagame Cup test for Tanimu and new signings
Singida Black Stars open their CECAFA Kagame Cup campaign on Saturday, 25 July, against South Sudanese side Jamus SC in their first Group B match.
The fixture is expected to feature the first competitive outings for several of their new players, including Tanimu, who is tipped to play a central role in organising the defence.
They will then meet Tanzanian giants Simba SC in one of the standout ties of the group stage, before closing their Group B schedule against Somalia’s Mogadishu City Club.
The club views the competition as vital in providing high-intensity minutes ahead of another busy season on both domestic and continental fronts.
Building on a breakthrough season
Singida Black Stars’ confidence is underpinned by their strong showing in the 2025/26 NBC Premier League, in which they recorded 15 wins, five draws and 10 defeats, scoring 47 goals and conceding 35.
Their league campaign was spearheaded by striker Mossi Nduwumwe, who finished as the division’s leading scorer with 17 goals. The team also advanced to the latter stages of the CRDB Federation Cup, further underlining their growing status in Tanzanian football.
On the continental stage, Singida Black Stars reached the group phase of the CAF Confederation Cup, facing clubs including CR Belouizdad and Stellenbosch. Although they narrowly failed to progress to the quarter-finals, the experience is seen internally as a building block for future campaigns.
With Tanimu’s return and additional reinforcements joining the squad, Singida Black Stars are signalling clear intent to mount a stronger push for major honours in Tanzania and across Africa in the 2026/27 season.
