A derby hero and the first goal scorer for a U.S. soccer club in Cuba in nearly three decades. A match-winner against Ottawa Fury, then a title-clincher against Jacksonville Armada.

That’s the condensed version of Lucky Mkosana’s momentous introduction to the New York Cosmos squad this past Spring Season.

The 28-year-old forward from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe was a tireless attacker for the Tampa Bay Rowdies before bringing his high work rate to New York in November 2014. In his first Cosmos season Mkosana made 27 appearances and 21 starts, scoring seven times and chipping in an assist across league and U.S. Open Cup competition. That doesn’t include his brace in the Cosmos' friendly against the Cuban national team on June 2 in Havana, which continues to hold special significance for him.

“It was a really great experience and phenomenal atmosphere,” Mkosana told Cosmos TV. “I was at a loss for words. I’m really honored to be part of that history. Two goals, plus getting the first goal in Cuba, I’ll always cherish that.”

A month earlier Mkosana was the man who put away eventual league runners-up Ottawa with a precise 14^th-minute poke past NASL Golden Glove winner Romuald Peiser at MCU Park. That 1-0 result in the club’s Brooklyn debut was vital in securing a Spring Season championship, and eventually home field advantage throughout the postseason.

His heroics spilled into mid-June cup competition. With second half stoppage time approaching and the Cosmos down a goal to MLS expansion side New York City FC, Mkosana showcased his ability to finish in tight space when his team needed it most. Boxed in between four defenders, he received Hunter Freeman’s feed from the right wing then, in a single touch, teed the ball up for his right foot while squaring his shoulders towards the net. Mkosana finished left past NYCFC’s diving 6-foot-7 goalkeeper, Eirik Johansen, in what felt like less than a second.

That sequence was voted 2015 Cosmos Play of the Year by the fans in December. Mkosana would also net his penalty in the eventual shootout, keeping the Cosmos alive and setting the stage for Hunter Gorskie’s East River Derby winner.

“We knew we were going to win the game,” Mkosana told Cosmos TV. “At halftime Gio told us we needed to show character. We hadn’t lost a game at home, and we had to go out there and leave it all on the field. As soon as it went to PKs, we knew we were going to win it.”

The Cosmos couldn’t top another local foe in the next round of the Open Cup, falling 4-1 to the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on July 1. But Mkosana’s hot streak continued early in the fixture, as he leveled the match in the 16^th minute.

"Lucky's a monster, man," goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer said of his teammate to NYCosmos.com. "He's so fast, so strong, but he's such a good player, too. He holds the ball for us. He gives us outlets. Those assists, those goals, he's been killing it. There's not enough you can say about him."

On Sept. 2, 2015 the club announced it had signed Mkosana to a multi-year contract extension. A key cog in the Cosmos’ 2015 attack and a fan favorite for his goal celebrations, Cosmos Country should expect to see more exuberant runs to the corner flag in 2016.