When Marshall Munetsi was recruited to FC Cape Town eight years ago, he was just another little-known Zimbabwean teenager with nothing, but a dream pumped by tenacity up his sleeve.
He stayed just a season with the then first division club with Orlando Pirates snapping him up ahead of the start of the 2016/17 season but quickly loaned him out to Baroka.
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After a season out in Limpopo where he was solid in central midfield, he returned to Pirates but found himself at the back of the queue and only got his first minutes of the season just past the halfway stage and eventually ended with 12 appearances.
The following season (2018/19), Munetsi was moved to central defence and though he only played just over half the league games French club Stade Reims came calling and he left.
Good riddance to some at Pirates who never appreciated and understood his value but great acquisition for Reims, playing in one of Europe's top five leagues.
Fast forward to May 2023 and the Zimbabwean has now completed four solid years at Reims.
The 2022/23 season has been his best in Europe.
Munetsi has 35 appearances this season and will add number 36 against Montpellier on Saturday evening then the French Ligue One comes to an end.
Last Saturday, the 26-year-old took to the field as captain against Olympique Lyon.
Playing mostly in midfield this season, he has scored seven goals (plus four assists) and has been able to compete against Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and all others in France.
Munestsi has been one of the top five players fielded the most at the club by his 30-year-old Belgian coach William Still and is now a favourite at Stade Auguste-Delaune II.
Through the season, the lad from Harare has won the Citizen's Player award from the French National Union of Professional Footballers and was selected as one of 12 nominees for the Marc-Vivien Foe award – an accolade handed to the best African player in Ligue One.
Through this campaign, there has also been constant talk of a move to the English Premier League with Brighton and Hove Albion and Bournemouth mentioned along with Burnley and Watford.
At the other end, none of the players he found at FC Cape Town were able to play in the DStv Premiership this past season including those that were hailed as being stars in the making ahead of him.
Siphelele Magubane, Sekela Sithole, Siyabonga Sibiya, Eden Nene, Assemien Amona, Bongane Nyambe, Edward More, Luckyboy Mokoena, Xolani Mdaki, Tamon Litchfield, Andile Khumalo, Jason Dickson, Siphiwe Gwala, and Aupa Moeketsi all got double number appearances along with Munetsi at FC Cape Town but none of them played top league football this past season.
Yet, for Munetsi he is now valued at R100 million and was recently rewarded with a new deal to run until June 2027.
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