Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere
PITSO Mosimane has explained why South African players are failing to break into Europe’s top leagues while a Zimbabwean star has just made the grade into the English Premiership.
Marshall Munetsi moved to Wolves a few weeks ago and has become an instant hit with the fans and his coach Vitor Perreira.
Munetsi spent six years at Stade de Reims in France and played alongside fellow countryman Tinotenda Kadewere in the French Ligue 1.
South Africa do not have players in major European leagues after Lyle Foster’s Burnley were relegated from the EPL and are now playing in the Championship.
Zimbabwe’s Jordan Zemura is at Italian Serie A side Udinese.
Mosimane suggested South African players usually master one position while playing in Supa Diski and this could be a limiting factor affecting their growth and adaptability.
The gaffer cited Munetsi in his explanation on The Dan Corder Show on eNCA.
He said:
“I was watching Wolves playing Liverpool, I saw Munetsi the boy who was playing for Orlando Pirates and they (Pirates) used him as a midfielder but he was playing as a nine as a striker.
“It just shows that international football and local football are totally different.
“I was playing as a striker at Cosmos, Sundowns, and suddenly when I went to Europe they put me as a winger. Probably I didn’t score enough or was not strong enough to be a nine.
“It’s positioning, where the coach feels he can get the best out of you. We have the flair, we play well but as long as we don’t have players in Ligue 1, La Liga, Primeira Liga, in the Premier League, Serie A… we can say we’re good but we need players at that level.”
He added:
“I’ve coached against Sadio Mane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, and N’Golo Kante. The real challenge in South Africa is why we don’t have players in those spaces.
“We discuss development but we don’t address how to get there. It all comes down to positioning, ball control, and decision-making − skills that distinguish superstars like Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and Neymar.”
