Fosun can be criticised for some woeful business they’ve conducted at Wolves, although they deserve credit for the capture of Marshall Munetsi on deadline day.
Wolves signed Munetsi for £16.6 million from Stade Reims, around the same amount as they paid for his teammate Emmanuel Agbadou.
Munetsi has been a ‘big problem’ for the opposition since arriving, according to Vitor Pereira, as the 28-year-old uses his strength and power to outmuscle his markers.
And on Saturday evening, he was calmness personified in the box, as Munetsi scored his first Premier League goal against Everton.
It earned Wolves a 1-1 draw against the Toffees, sending them six clear of the relegation zone, and the midfielder has one person to thank for this moment.
Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images
Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images
Marshall Munetsi salutes former Man City and Portsmouth striker Benjani
During the Premier League era, only a select few players have represented Zimbabwe, Munetsi being the latest, while Benjani is inarguably the most iconic.
In the mid to late 2000s, Benjani played for the likes of Portsmouth, Manchester City, and Blackburn in England’s top-flight, scoring 26 goals in 119 appearances.
The former Zimbabwe international is synonymous with the ‘Prime Barclays’ movement, particularly during his days working under Harry Redknapp at Pompey.
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Not only did he capture the hearts of supporters with his goals but he also inspired a new generation of players looking to make it in England, including Munetsi.
In an interview with All Africa, the Wolves midfielder saluted Benjani for playing a ‘pivotal’ role in his career and paving the way for him and other Zimbabweans to become Premier League stars.
“Benjani is a pivotal player for us Zimbabweans, and he played a crucial role,” he said. “He is one person whom we respect, and he also paved the way for us to the Premier League.”
Munetsi made history against Everton
On Saturday night, Munetsi also made history in the fixture against Everton.
The last Zimbabwean to score in the competition was Benjani for Blackburn Rovers in January 2011. His famous brace in a 3-1 win over Liverpool was the last goals scored by any player of that nationality in the competition.
Munetsi has since broken that duck by finding the net for Wolves, and over the course of his Molineux career, he will hope to break Benjani’s record.
The ex-Manchester City striker has 26 goals in the competitions, as mentioned earlier, but if Munetsi stays for at least four or five seasons, he could break that total and then chase down another Zimbabwean, Peter Ndlovu, who has 34 Premier League goals.