United States-BASED Zimbabwean soccer player Lucky Malala Mkosana plans to give back to youths in his hometown, Plumtree after establishing a football academy in the border town, which focuses on empowering young players through education and football.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
Mkosana (30) told Standarsport on Friday that his US club New York Cosmos will be partnering him in the project named “Bridging Youth through Soccer Academy” (BYS).
The gifted striker, who left his US base for Zimbabwe on Thursday, said he decided to come up with the academy after realising the need to create opportunities for the underprivileged youth in Plumtree during his last visit in 2015.
At BYS in Plumtree, children will now get the chance to train all-year round and be guided through a mentorship programme that will also emphasise the importance of education.
Nkosana is expected to grace the first annual BYS Academy U-14 tournament at Plumtree High School next Sunday, where he will be identifying young players, who he hopes to assist in acquiring scholarships to study and play football in the US.
Six local teams, some currently training and attending Mkosana’s former primary school, Red Alan Redfern, as well as other children from the most vulnerable communities in Plumtree will partake in this one-day tournament.
Funds raised will cover costs for soccer balls and books for participating schools, team transportation, food and drinks, and individual and participation prizes.
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“My plan is to give back to the community and recognize young talent in Plumtree,” Nkosana said.
“We need to build on sustainable development in Plumtree and at the same time try and get scholarships for the kids in the US. The idea of the tournament is to select potential students who can fit into the academy and then we take from there as they train with emphasis on education.
“We registered the academy this year as a trust at the deeds office in Harare with a lawyer who has been assisting me.”
Mkosana said giving back to the community that laid the foundation for him to be where he is right now had always been his dream since he left the country for the US on a football scholarship in 2007.
“It’s been my goal since I left Zimbabwe in 2007, to give back to my community,” Mkosana told the New York Cosmos’ official website in a separate interview last Tuesday.
“I saw kids still struggling just to kick a soccer ball around or find someone interested in developing them. Whenever I saw the kids with the soccer balls, it made me happy because I know exactly what they’re going through. The idea is to get rid of that stigma back home where people believe that soccer players are not dedicated or good at school. We want the kids to realise they can dedicate themselves to school and play the game,” Mkosana said.
A product of Tegwane High School, Mkosana was awarded a scholarship to study in the US while at the same time developing his football career.
He graduated with a degree in International Development from Dartmouth College, a member of the Ivy League and one of the world’s greatest academic institutions before pursuing an MBA in Sports Management with the Real Madrid Graduate School.
After a glittering college football career, Mkosana played for USL Premier Development League club Michigan Bucks, Harrisburg City Islanders, Tampa Bay Rowdies before joining New York Cosmos in 2015.
Mkosana was selected by the Major League Soccer franchise Chicago Fire in the second round of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, but wasn’t signed by the club.
After helping Cosmos lift the 2016 North American Soccer League (NASL) Championship and 2015 Soccer Bowl, Mkosana briefly left the club early this year for Finland top side IFK Mariehamn before to New York in June.
