The man who founded the club in a Harare, where Marshall Munetsi started his football journey, has revealed why the midfielder was destined to play in Europe.
Desmund Ali, who is coincidentally Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter established Ali Sundowns, a club that unearthed one of the Premier League's latest recruits, Munetsi.
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Ali grew up in Mabvuku, a high-density area in Harare, where he witnessed the struggles of young footballers.
Wanting to give back to his community, he started the club in 2003, initially catering to junior teams before expanding into senior football.
Today, Ali Sundowns have risen from Zimbabwe's fourth tier to the second division, and their women's side is on track to compete at the highest level.
The man who is a banker by profession told The Athletic that he first spotted Munetsi as a 10-year-old and immediately recognised his potential.
"My first impression of Marshall was that he had potential," he said. "The biggest issue when we identify players for leagues in Europe is that you want bigger guys like (former Zimbabwe international) Benjani.
"Size matters in Europe and when I saw him I thought, 'This guy is going to grow big'. I didn't use any science. It was just an observation with the eye. When I saw his father and mother, I could tell that this guy was going to grow big.
"He could play as a right-back, as a centre-back, as a defensive link, as an attacking link and even as a striker. He was kind of a utility player.
"Covering ground was always a strength of his, even when he was playing at centre-back. He could easily join the attack without a problem.
"His other attribute was that he had booming shots.
"Even when he was young, he could hit the ball so well. He came to training on time, focusing on his training and he was more like an introvert. He didn't talk too much, but he would do his talking on the field.
"If you saw him for the first time, you would think he's just a quiet boy."
After three years with Ali Sundowns, Munetsi was selected for the provincial under-14 team. By 17, he had made the Zimbabwe under-17 squad before moving to Blue Rangers in the second division.A switch to South Africa followed, where he played for Ubuntu and then Orlando Pirates with his tenure there including two loan spells at Braoka FC .
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He then moved to French club Reims, and spent over five years in Ligue 1. He made 148 appearances before sealing a move to the Premier League.