BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
IT took just one training session for FC Platinum’s Dutch coach Hendrikus Pieter de Jongh to see something special in a young Marshall Munetsi five years ago.
The year was 2015 and De Jongh had just joined South African National First Division side FC Cape Town following a stint with Kenya’s AFC Leopards. And watching the unknown young Zimbabwean, who had also just joined the club, quickly reminded him of Dutch football legend Clarence Seedorf.
“I was head coach of FC Cape Town in 2015. On the first training I told John Comitis [club technical director] and Erol Dicks [chairman] that there is one outstanding talent. And he reminds me of Seedorf. I told them direct he can go to the top,” De Jongh said in an interview with Standardsport.
Seedorf is one of the finest midfielders to play the game having featured for top teams in Europe such as Ajax FC, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan.
“It’s not a surprise for me that now he (Munetsi) is playing in the French top-flight league because from day one I told people and also Marshall himself that he can go to the top,” added the 49-year-old.
After excelling at FC Cape Town, Munetsi went to play for South African football giants Orlando Pirates en route to a loan stint with Baroka FC until he made the big move to French top-flight league side Stade de Reims in June last year.
Munetsi has had a decent debut season for Reims making 21 appearances in all competitions and scoring two goals helping his club to fifth place before the league was suspended.
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De Jongh has tipped the 23-year-old holding midfielder to excel in the French league and make a move to bigger leagues in Europe.
“Believe you me, he can make a great career in France and have a lot of success. Marshall has everything a top player needs, a very good body, strong mentality, good discipline, good speed and strength in the field,” De Jongh said.
“He is a world-class player, but now he needs to work on handling the ball and the tempo of the French league. If he manages to do that he can make a step higher to biggest clubs in Europe.”
The former Eswatini coach has been in the country since September 2019 after he took the reins at Bulawayo giants Highlanders.
De Jongh guided Highlanders to Chibuku Super Cup success as well as a sixth-place finish in league before he joined Zimbabwean champions FC Platinum. He has been charmed by the amount of talent that he has seen in Zimbabwe thus far.
“Here in Zimbabwe there is a lot of talent. It is question of what the players do with their qualities. I give no names, but in my team [FC Platinum] there are players, with potential for Europe,” he said.
The FC Platinum gaffer bemoaned the delay to the start of the season, which has been caused by the global Covid-19 virus outbreak.
FC Platinum had the momentum as they remained active during the off-season break participating in the CAF Champions League, which saw them beat Highlanders 2-0 in the Castle Challenge Cup last month.
“Being locked down is not good for us because we were ready for the league. We had top shape and condition and mood shown by a great performance at the Super Challenge Cup final. For us it was better to start after the Challenge Cup. But is it most important that we stop coronavirus. Football is second to the health of everyone in the world at the moment,” De Jongh said.
