Online Reporter
THERE was a time, not so long ago, when Marshall Munetsi was told by a coach in South Africa that he was not good enough to play for Orlando Pirates.
He only made 37 appearances for Pirates in three seasons.
Now, he is having the last laugh after completing a dream move to EPL side Wolves.
“When I went to Pirates I think that was the time when Eric Tinkler had left and there was Muhsin (Ertugral), he made it clear that he had no intention of playing me so they loaned me to Baroka,” Munetsi told South African sports caster Robert Marawa’s weekly radio show Marawa Sport Worldwide.
“Baroka was a young team where I got a chance to play a lot of games and I think I had about three goals.
“When I returned to Pirates there was another change in the coaching department when Micho (Milutin Sredojevi) was coming in.
“At that time I think I also tried to go to Ajax Cape Town, but the deal fell through so obviously when coach Micho was there they had their own players and they had their own ambitions, so I had to sit out six months in the 2017/18 season without being registered or playing.
“It was a huge blow for me personally as a player as I was trying to make some strides after Baroka.
“And when they finally gave me a chance they said they wanted to use me as a central defender, but for me personally I just wanted to play and I didn’t really care where I would be playing.
“After that a lot of people thought I was a centre-back.”
But, Munetsi did not give up despite all these setbacks. He moved to France, where he joined Stade Reims, while some of the players, who the Supa Diski coaches felt were better than him, have remained trapped in the South African Premiership.
The Warrior impressed at Stade Reims and even captained the team in his last game at the weekend.
Now, he has moved to Wolves in the EPL for US$20,5 million.
Mathew Masinge