Instead he joined Penn FC (formerly the Harrisburg City Islanders), where his sharpness and nose for goal saw him score 22 times in 44 games. A stint at the New York Cosmos, and two NASL national titles, followed. There was a short time in Finland with IFK Mariehamn before he turned a loan deal into a permanent contract with the Rowdies in 2014.
And though he’d leave the Florida club (for Penn and Louisville City) before returning again in 2019, he made a firm connection to the city of Tampa. To the local club and its fans too.
Mkosana is a hard player not to like – always with a smile on his face or lurking somewhere near the surface. “Arms were always open to me here,” he said of the Rowdies where he wants “to stay and keep giving back.”
“Lucky is as consistent a finisher as you’ll find both in our league and in this country…” said Tampa Bay coach Neil Collins – once a teammate of Mkosana’s. “With his experience and knack for finding the right spots to pop in front of the goal and in the box, he’s really an ideal player for the kind of situations you find yourself in during a tournament like the Open Cup.
“But really what makes him a special player is his ability to always be ready to perform when called upon, no matter what the moment is,” the coach added.
Major League Opportunity for the Rowdies
A chance in the top tier of Major League Soccer eluded Mkosana through his long career. But now, in the 2023 Open Cup, he can show he’s got what it takes to get it done against the top pros in the land. It’s an opportunity that’s shared through the entire Rowdies’ squad.
Mkosana’s goal in the last round helped set up a home date at Al Lang Stadium against the 2018 Open Cup champions Houston Dynamo of MLS in the Third Round.
“These are the games we live for,” said Mkosana, chipping in this season as the Rowdies sit mid-table in the USL Championship’s eastern standings. “We’ll be seen as the underdog and we’ll give it all out there for the fans because they live for these games too.”
Tampa Bay haven’t hosted an MLS team in the Cup since 2013. And their Zimbabwean ace, in the autumn of his playing days, is ready, once more, to do his part in the Cup he’s come to love. “To beat them [The Dynamo] on our own field would bring big pride for us,” he said. “And for our fans too.
“With the guys we have, anything is possible,” added Mkosana, who’s made a career of taking the full and half chances that come his way. “Everyone is buying in and it’s a chance for us, against a top team, to show who we are.”
Fontela is editor-in-chief of usopencup.com. Follow him at @jonahfontela on Twitter.
