{{Short description|Nigerian footballer (born 2002)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Benjamin Tanimu |image = |caption = |full_name = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|7|24|df=y}} |birth_place = Benin City, Nigeria |height = 1.83 m<ref name="nft">{{NFT player|94339|access-date=30 August 2024}}</ref> |position = Centre-back |currentclub = Maghreb of Fez |clubnumber = 28 |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = |years1 = 2018–2024 |clubs1 = Bendel Insurance |caps1 = |goals1 = |years2 = 2024 |clubs2 = Singida Black Stars{{efn|The club was known as Ihefu FC when Tanimu signed for the club.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Akanni |first=Aishat |date=12 August 2024 |title=No transfer for Benjamin Tanimu as Ihefu FC rebrands into Singida Black Stars |url=https://www.brila.net/no-transfer-for-benjamin-tanimu-as-ihefu-fc-rebrands-into-singida-black-stars/ |access-date=30 August 2024 |website=Brila FM}}</ref>}} |caps2 = 11 |goals2 = 0 |years3 = 2024–2025 |clubs3 = Crawley Town |caps3 = 7 |goals3 = 0 |years4 = 2025– |clubs4 = Maghreb of Fez |caps4 = 0 |goals4 = 0 |nationalyears1 = |nationalteam1 = Nigeria U23 |nationalcaps1 = |nationalgoals1 = |nationalyears2 = 2024– |nationalteam2 = Nigeria |nationalcaps2 = 3 |nationalgoals2 = 0 |club-update = 22:33, 28 January 2025 (UTC) |nationalteam-update = 16:41, 30 August 2024 (UTC) }} '''Benjamin Tanimu''' (born 24 July 2002) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Botola Pro club Maghreb of Fez and the Nigeria national team.
==Club career== Born in Benin City,<ref name="nft" /> Tanimu started his career in his home city at Bendel Insurance in 2018.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://goalballlive.com/benjamin-tanimu-biography-state-of-origin-career-salary/ | title=Benjamin Tanimu biography, state of origin, club career, salary | date=11 March 2024 }}</ref> After seven seasons, he signed for Tanzanian Premier League side Ihefu FC, later known as Singida Black Stars, in February 2024.<ref>{{Cite news|access-date=30 August 2024|url=https://dailypost.ng/2024/02/12/benjamin-tanimu-dumps-bendel-insurance-for-tanzanian-club-ihefu-sc/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|title=Benjamin Tanimu dumps Bendel Insurance for Tanzanian club IHEFU SC|first=Taiwo|last=Adesanya|date=12 February 2024|newspaper=Daily Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://globalsportsarchive.com/people/soccer/benjamin-tanimu/588676/ | title=Benjamin Tanimu - Soccer player profile & career statistics - Global Sports Archive }}</ref> On 2 September 2024, Tanimu joined EFL League One club Crawley Town on a two-year contract for a fee of 2.3 billion TZS (~£630,000 GBP),<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C_TI_66Koqx/ | title=Instagram }}</ref> linking up with the club in the weeks following the move.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crawleytownfc.com/news/2024/september/02/benjamin-tanimu-joins-lindsey-s-reds/|title=Benjamin Tanimu joins Lindsey's reds|website=crawleytownfc.com|publisher=Crawley Town F.C.|date=2 September 2024|access-date=2 September 2024}}</ref> On 19 October 2024, he made his debut for the club as a late substitute in a 4–1 defeat to Reading.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cdje0ve1xd4t|title=Reading 4–1 Crawley Town|publisher=BBC Sport|date=19 October 2024|accessdate=20 October 2024}}</ref>
On 4 July 2025, Tanimu joined Moroccan club Maghreb of Fez for an undisclosed fee.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 July 2025 |title=TANIMU MOVES TO MOROCCO |url=https://x.com/crawleytown/status/1941030759382634792 |access-date=4 July 2025 |website=Crawley Town FC on X}}</ref>
==International career== Tanimu has previously represented Nigeria at under-23 level.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 March 2024 |title=Who is Benjamin Tanimu? The defender with no Wikipedia page named in Super Eagles latest squad |url=https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=50743 |access-date=30 August 2024 |website=All Nigeria Soccer}}</ref>
Tanimu was called up to the Nigeria national team for the first time in March 2024 for friendlies against Ghana and Mali.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adewale |first=Abiodun |date=11 March 2024 |title=Tanimu ready to serve after first Eagles call up |url=https://punchng.com/tanimu-ready-to-serve-after-first-eagles-call-up/ |access-date=30 August 2024 |newspaper=The Punch}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Akindele |first=Rotimi |date=10 March 2024 |title=Super Eagles: Rising Star Benjamin Tanimu joins the fold |url=https://www.afrik-foot.com/en-ng/super-eagles-rising-star-benjamin-tanimu |access-date=30 August 2024 |website=afrik-foot.com}}</ref> He made his debut for Nigeria on 22 March, starting in a 2–1 win over Ghana.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abiola |first=Raphael |date=22 March 2024 |title=Finidi Goerge Rates Tanimu's Performance in Nigeria's Win Over Ghana in Morocco |url=https://sportsbrief.com/football/61654-finidi-george-rates-benjamin-tanimus-performance-nigerias-win-ghana-morocco/ |access-date=30 August 2024 |website=sportsbrief.com}}</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Club=== {{updated|match played 4 March 2025}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="7"|Bendel Insurance |2018 |Nigeria National League |colspan="10"|''No data currently available'' |- |2019 |Nigeria Professional League |15||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||15||0 |- |2019–20 |Nigeria National League |colspan="10"|''No data currently available'' |- |2020–21 |Nigeria National League |colspan="10"|''No data currently available'' |- |2021–22 |Nigeria National League |colspan="10"|''No data currently available'' |- |2022–23 |Nigeria Professional League |21||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||21||0 |- |2023–24 |Nigeria Premier League |19||2||0||0||colspan="2"|—||4{{efn|name=CCC|Appearances in CAF Confederations Cup}}||0||23||2 |- |Ihefu |2023–24 |Tanzanian Premier League |11||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||11||0 |- |Crawley Town |2024–25<ref>{{soccerbase season|190954|2024|access-date=20 October 2024}}</ref> |League One |7||0||2||0||0||0||1{{Efn|Appearance in EFL Trophy}}||0||10||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !73!!2!!2!!0!!0!!0!!5!!0!!80!!2 |} {{notelist}}
{{updated|match played 10 June 2024}}<ref name="NFT">{{NFT player |id=94339 |name=Benjamin Tanimu |access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |Nigeria |2024||3||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!3!!0 |}
==Honours== '''Bendel Insurance ''' *Nigeria National League: 2021–22 *Nigeria Federation Cup: 2023
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanimu, Benjamin}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:People from Benin City Category:Nigerian men's footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Bendel Insurance F.C. players Category:Crawley Town F.C. players Category:Nigeria Professional Football League players Category:Tanzanian Premier League players Category:English Football League players Category:Nigeria men's youth international footballers Category:Nigeria men's international footballers Category:Nigerian expatriate men's footballers Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Tanzania Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Tanzania Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in England Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England Category:21st-century Nigerian sportsmen Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Morocco Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Morocco Category:Maghreb of Fez players