Marshall Munetsi, more than a footballer

Football is all bling, show and the cult of the luxury image. That is what plenty of fans think, and plenty of players too. But not Marshall Munetsi. The Zimbabwean midfielder helps a lot of people through his foundation. At the latest UNFP awards, the Reims man was given the Citizen Player Trophy. Before receiving that distinction, he had extended his contract with Stade de Reims. And under this new deal, the club will pay 100 euros to his foundation for every kilometre Munetsi covers. Safe to say the total is likely to be high, given the Zimbabwean's work rate on the pitch. It is an initiative the player welcomes with emotion.

“Everything was agreed on my side to sign a contract extension until 2027 when the club told me about this mechanism to help my foundation. It really surprised me because it was the first time I had heard of a clause like that. That's why I want to thank Stade de Reims once again! The club's officials regularly asked me how things were going with my foundation in Zimbabwe. But I never imagined they would put a clause like that in my new contract… It shows that when you try to do good, people notice and try to help you ”, Marshall Munetsi admits to the Ligue 1 website.

Named to the FIFPRO Global Player Council

Marshall Munetsi's cause is to give all children in his country and across the continent access to education. He adds, however, that he is not the only one working flat out to change things. “There's also Tino Kadewere, Marvelous Nakamba… Plenty of African players are taking action. I know because we talk about it among ourselves. We know where we come from and how hard it is to get out, so we communicate as much as we can to have a positive impact on the situation in our countries. I'm very happy to see that we're making progress and managing to show governments how important education is. I hope that one day it will be like in Europe, where you don't have to pay to go to school, especially when you're a child”.

Read also: FIFA: Infantino praises Munestsi's charitable initiative

Marshall Munetsi is proof of commitment. And FIFPRO (the international federation of players' unions) has named him to its Global Player Council. The Zimbabwean underlines what an honour that is. “First of all, it's a privilege and a huge honour to have been chosen. Trying to change things and help other players is very important. In Africa, there are a number of problems with fake agents, who promise young players a career in Europe, dangle destinations like Madrid or Monaco in front of them and get paid big sums before vanishing without trace. There are also clubs that exploit players financially. We have to protect young footballers, boys and girls, who aspire to play at the highest level and are prevented from doing so by political interference, as is the case in Zimbabwe at the moment. My role is to get involved and to raise awareness of these problems”.

“I've seen too many children face obstacles”

His foundation was set up in 2019. It started with 30 young Zimbabweans, then gradually grew to 60 members. It is a way for Marshall Munetsi to help young people facing all sorts of difficulties, and above all to instil values in them. “Growing up in Zimbabwe, I saw too many children face obstacles and difficulties they should not have to face. I'm thinking in particular of orphans. In many African countries, education is not free. As a result, some children fall into drugs, some girls end up married very young, others turn to prostitution… That's what can happen to those who have nobody to provide for them”, says the 27-year-old player.

He also adds: “For all these reasons, education and sport must be central to their lives; that's what can change their destiny. Even though I don't want to go into details, something terrible happened to one of my cousins, something I wouldn't wish on anyone. That story only strengthened my feeling: access to education helps people avoid ending up in certain difficult situations. The emphasis has been placed on helping young girls so that they find themselves in a position of strength as often as possible and in a position of weakness as little as possible”. Through his play and his social involvement, Marshall Munetsi sets an example for children.