MARSHALL Munetsi was the toast of the Zimbabwean players abroad at the weekend after the midfielder struck a new personal milestone on his 100th game for French Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims.
The 26-year-old, who has been enjoying a steady rise since moving to France four years ago, was honoured for reaching the milestone just before Reim's French Ligue 1 game against Marseille, which they lost 2-1 at home.
Munetsi received a printed frame from club president Jean-Pierre Caillot and Didier Perrin, who is the co-main shareholder of Stade de Reims, in commemoration of his 100th appearance.
"100 matches in Red and White, let's celebrate our tireless midfielder Marshall Munetsi," the club posted on Twitter.
The Zimbabwean midfielder was naturally elated by the gesture and tweeted "Thank you Stade de Reims. Work continues".
France legend Thierry Henry, who was part of the pitch-side commentary team, was full of praise for the Zimbabwean. The France World Cup winner hailed Munetsi as an "efficient" player.
Munetsi also received congratulatory messages from all over the world, with the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe also joining in in celebrating one of their own.
The box to box midfielder, who is also comfortable playing in central defence, has grown to become one of the key players at Reims, having joined the French Ligue 1 side in 2019 from Orlando Pirates of South Africa.
His initial contract was set to expire in 2024 but he recently extended it by a further two years.
Munetsi began his football career at Ali Sundowns Academy in Mabvuku. He was later nurtured at Harare-based Friendly Academy. Locally, he featured for the now-defunct Blue Rangers in the Zimbabwe topflight when he was still a raw teenage footballer.
He then made his breakthrough when he signed for South African side FC Cape Town in 2015 and the following year was snapped up by Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates, who initially loaned him to fellow Supa Disk side, Baroka.
Pirates never quite gave him the prominence his stature as a footballer deserved. He made 37 appearances for the club before he moved to Reims in 2019.
Munetsi debuted in a Ligue 1 fixture for Reims on September 1, 2019 as a substitute against Lille at the age of 23 years and 71 days.
He has enjoyed his game at Reims where he has performed his defensive duties well and has also come through for the club with some goals and assists.
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The midfielder has netted five Ligue 1 goals and made three assists this season. In last season's Ligue 1, Munetsi appeared in 24 games for Reims, scored five goals and had one assist.
As Munetsi's profile in European football continues to rise, the midfielder was last month named in the French Ligue 1 Team of the Month by the popular football website WhoScored.com.
WhoScored.com, which is part of the Guardian Sport Network, is the largest detailed football statistics website, covering Europe's top five leagues and more.
The midfielder's impressive outings in the Ligue 1 have seen him being linked with English football clubs such as Burnley, Watford and Bournemouth.
However, Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot made it clear that the midfielder was not for sale.
To fend off competition, the 26-year-old extended his stay with Les Rouges et Blanc last summer, tying down to a contract due to expire in 2026.
The Reims stalwart is valued at around Ꞓ5m, as of November 2022, by football website Transfermarkt.
