Chronicle Editor
Mehluli Sibanda
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FRANCE-based Zimbabwean midfielder Marshall Munetsi, who has had a remarkable 2022/23 season for Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims has been nominated for the prestigious Marc-Vivien Foe award, which is handed out to the best African player in France’s topflight league.
Munetsi, in his fourth season at Stade de Reims, Munetsi has scored six goals, the highest he has ever achieved since he joined the French from South Africa’s Orlando Pirates in July 2019. On top of that, the 26-year-old Zimbabwean midfielder has also provided three assists in the 27 league appearances.
The Marc-Vivien Foe award, an accolade in an honour to the late Marc-Vivien Foé is awarded to the best player who represents an African national football team in Ligue 1.
For a player to be eligible for the Marc-Vivien Foé award, they should have played for an African national team and have not changed their nationality since then and played at least 15 matches in Ligue 1 this season. The winner of the award will be announced on May 30.
Munetsi is competing for the award with 10 other African stars among them, the winner of the previous edition Seko Fofana of Ivory Coast who plays for Lens. Other notable contenders are Achraf Hakimi of Morocco, Senegalese forward Habib Diallo as well as the Congolese Chancel Mbemba, probably the best defender in France this season.
The voting panel for this award is composed of nearly 100 journalists concentrating on French and African soccer from all media (radio, television, print).
Munetsi’s brilliant exploits in the French Ligue 1 has seen him attract interest from English teams, Brighton and Hove Albion, Bournemouth, Burnley and Watford. The Zimbabwean is now valued at between €9.1M and €15.2M.
The 11 finalists:
Yunis Abdelhamid, defender (Morocco/Reims), Mama Balde, forward (Guinea-Bissau/Troyes), Mohamed Camara, midfielder (Mali/Monaco), Habib Diallo, forward (Senegal/Strasbourg), Seko Fofana, midfielder (Ivory Coast/Lens), Achraf Hakimi, defender (Morocco/PSG), Chancel Mbemba, defender (DR Congo/Marseille), Terem Moffi, forward (Nigeria/Nice), Marshall Munetsi, midfielder (Zimbabwe/Reims), Hamari Traore, defender (Mali/Rennes), Salis Abdul Samed, midfielder (Ghana/Lens).
— @Mdawini_29
Online Reporter