The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
FOR someone who was missing his childhood ghetto so much, the first thing on Marshall Munetsi’s itinerary was to visit the sprawling township of Mabvuku.
Soon after touching down at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Wednesday, the France-based Zimbabwe international midfielder took a drive around Mabvuku, the suburb where his football skills were nurtured.
As he drove around, mixing and mingling with friends and relatives, he discovered something that really shocked him.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), when I went driving around Mabvuku, I noticed something sad: The way drugs have become a way of life for most of the youths.
“Most of the boys in the ghetto no longer have hope, they don’t even believe in themselves,” a worried Munetsi said.
“Let’s try and find a place where we can enjoy the sun whilst we talk, my brother. You see, back in Europe this sun you take for granted here is actually gold.
“It’s always very cold in France. We train in cold weather and play in cold weather, so I guess I need to take this opportunity to enjoy this sun,” said the 24-year-old with a chuckle.
The star player, just like many of his colleagues, is back for the off-season holiday after a largely satisfactory season with French Ligue 1 side Reims.
He appeared 27 times in the league and scored once for the club, which finished 14th on the 20-team log.
A versatile player, Munetsi has now clocked 44 league appearances since July 2019 when he joined them from South African giants Orlando Pirates.
While he was glad to enjoy the Harare sun again, his smile momentarily fades as he reflects on what he had just witnessed in Mabvuku. Munetsi, however, believes he has to do more to support upcoming players, as he fears lack of junior football leagues in the country could scupper the development of young players.
“This actually touches my heart because I know how I grew up and how a number of players in the Warriors set-up today benefited from junior football.
“But, today we no longer have those junior football leagues running like they used to back in the day. It’s a sad thing and I wish ZIFA and the Ministry of Sport can look into it.
“My fear is that after this current crop of Warriors, there might a drought in terms of the supply chain,” he said.
“We know that we have talent in the country. The likes of Tino Kadewere and me … we are coming from the ghetto and we are playing French Ligue 1 football.
“It means that those kids need a platform; this is why my foundation is there to try and help.”
Munetsi’s foundation caters for many people in Mabvuku.
“You see the girl-child getting pregnant early, getting married early or staying with men early, and we are saying we need to give them more opportunities.
“We have to give them more hope, so when I visit them it gives them hope, knowing that I also come from there and I have made it.
“We have to try and empower the young man, the young girl who wants to be the next footballer. We grew up looking at Kirsty (Coventry), Elliot Mujaji, Peter Ndlovu – these are the names that inspired us, but they came from different backgrounds.”
Munetsi and Kadewere are the only Zimbabwean players in French Ligue 1, and they are always discussing ways of helping develop junior talent back home.
Kadewere also runs the Kadewere Foundation, which is also in charge of Highfield Academy.
“I have told Tino to keep on pushing with the academy idea. Junior football should be taken seriously, even school football. I remember how we used to look forward to the second term at school.
“We used to play against the likes of Tino, Tatenda Mkuruva and Thomas Chideu, who were at Prince Edward when I was still at Mabvuku High.
“Emmanuel Mandiranga was at Churchill, Brett Amidu and Walter Musona were at Lord Malvern. We then moved into academies before going professional,” explained Munetsi.
Interestingly, he was one of the ball boys when Zimbabwe beat Zambia 3-1 in the 2009 COSAFA Cup final at Rufaro. Interest As a young boy growing up in Mabvuku, his interest in football was stirred by activities at Lafarge Stadium, which was a stone’s throw away from his neighbourhood.
Back in 2009, the stadium used to be the home ground for former Premiership outfit Gunners, who clinched the title that season.
Despite being inspired by the now-defunct football club, Munetsi remains a staunch Dynamos supporter.
He also spoke of how they would evade paying to watch top-flight matches by sneaking into the toilets early in the morning, only to emerge after the gates were opened.
“Those Gunners matches influenced me. The interest grew after watching those matches at Lafarge when I was still in high school.
“You see, if you have a community football stadium in your hood, it inspires a lot of youngsters to take up soccer as a profession.
“But, sadly, we no longer have these stadiums. There is Chibuku in Chitungwiza but the facility is not functioning.
“Dzivarasekwa, for example, is not being maintained. And you wonder why the local councils are not partnering the corporate world and rebrand these stadiums?”
The former Baroka FC player is hopeful the situation will eventually be addressed.
He also believes Kadewere’s blistering start to life in the French Ligue 1 will open avenues for more local players to ply their trade in Europe.
“The more we have players playing abroad, the easier it becomes to compete against stronger nations.
“The arrival of Kadewere in the French Ligue 1 was a massive boost. We need to have more players coming to play in Europe.
“Tino had an amazing season. He scored a lot of goals but unfortunately his side Lyon did not go all the way to win the championship or qualify for the Champions League.
“But, he really did well for himself and the country.”
World Cup
Munetsi, who missed Zimbabwe’s last three 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers due to a combination of injuries and Covid-19 restrictions, wants the Warriors to have “proper preparations” for the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign.
Zimbabwe are in the same group with Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa.
“The first thing we pray for is that we don’t have injuries. At full strength, we can challenge anybody. It’s always about preparations.
“We are playing big teams with big players who want to play on the big stage, so we have to prepare more than them.
“We have a strong chance of progressing. One thing I like about this group is we are united; we have experienced players who want to finish on a high note and the most important thing we have to do is to qualify for the World Cup,” he said.
Some of the European-based players in the current Warriors squad include captain Knowledge Musona (Anderlecht), Marvelous Nakamba (Aston Villa), Teenage Hadebe (Yeni Malyaspor), Tendai Darikwa (Wigan), Jordan Zemura (Bournemouth), Brendan Galloway (Luton Town) and Admiral Muskwe (Leicester City).
But, for now, and with the Warriors missing out on the FIFA window for international friendlies, Munetsi wants to enjoy his holiday after a second season at Reims.
“First season was about making a name for myself. People were surprised with my move to Europe; most people didn’t know me, so it was about making the doubters believe.
“Second season was easier: I have settled, I know the language, I am used to the weather, environment and all.
“Third season will be about pushing harder.”
Munetsi is the son of a retired police officer, Samson, who is now into farming at the family plot in Chikwaka.
His mother, Sarudzai, is a nurse based in Portugal.
Munetsi hopes to spend more time with his father, close friends and Desmond Ali – the man who promoted his talent through the Ali Sundowns project in Mabvuku.
“I am always in touch with Desmond Ali. Without him, I wouldn’t be who I am today.
“Hopefully I will have more time to see Harare and all the changes and also to go and see the statue of Mbuya Nehanda.”
