Benjani is currently on loan at Sunderland from Manchester City until the end of the season.
“I need to play so I am pleased to be here and hopefully I will have more time on the pitch,” he told the Sunderland Echo.
“There are a lot of good players at Manchester City and when that happens it can be very difficult – the only way forward is to work hard.
“It is the same here. You saw the performance of Kenwyne Jones and Darren Bent on Saturday (against Wigan). They were very good.
“If they keep performing like this then it is going to be very hard to get into the team.
“Manchester City bought a lot of expensive players and so it was difficult to get time on the pitch, that is why I came somewhere else.
“The idea with this move is that I have to prove I can do something for the long term. If I do well I would like to stay here.
“It all depends on how I play. I am ready for the challenge.”
