After a 9-year career in Chinese football, Mukeshui has returned to his place of fame, Dalian. However, this time he is not joining Dalian Yingbo, who have just been promoted to the Super League, but instead remains in the second-tier league, signing with newly-promoted Dalian Kuncheng. Despite Mukeshui's age of 37, Dalian Kuncheng seems unconcerned and has offered him a long-term contract, clearly valuing his promotion-winning attributes.
At 37 years old, Mukeshui can still be heavily relied upon in China's secondary league, and he should be grateful for two decisions he made: first, giving up basketball at 19 to focus on football, and second, accepting Dalian Yifang's invitation in 2015. Standing nearly 1.9 meters tall and very strong, Mukeshui initially wanted to become a professional basketball player due to his natural physical advantages. He was able to join Zimbabwe's national youth teams and play as a starting point guard in the African Youth Basketball Championship, demonstrating not only his athletic talent but also his ability to endure hardship. In 2007, during the African Men's Basketball Championship, his playing time ranked second in the team, and he was the assist leader. However, fate opened another door for him - due to the lack of indoor basketball courts in Zimbabwe, he had to train with an amateur football club to maintain his form. This unintentional move won him a contract with the club. For Mukeshui, who lived in the slums, it was natural to give up basketball since football could bring in income. Incredibly, in the third year after switching sports, he won the domestic league's Golden Boot award and was selected for the Zimbabwe national team.
After gaining fame in his home country, Mukeshui began playing in overseas leagues. He left his mark in South Africa, Belgium, and Sweden, where he performed well in lower-level local leagues but struggled somewhat in higher-level European competitions. Fate then opened another "window" for him - this time, the transfer window. At the end of 2015, Mukeshui signed with Dalian Yifang, and no one at the time realized that they were about to witness a legend in Chinese football and Mukeshui's career. During his 9 years in China, he scored 152 goals across two leagues, making him the highest-scoring foreign player in Chinese league history over the past 30 years. He also helped teams achieve promotion in Dalian, Hangzhou, and Yunnan, earning him the titles of "Warrior of China League One" and "Promotion Machine." Even though he is nearing the age of 40, last season in the second-tier league, he played 28 games for Yunnan Yuku, scoring 25 goals to win the league's Golden Boot. In the previous 2022 and 2023 seasons, while representing Zhejiang in the Super League, he scored 18 goals each time. It is evident that this "evergreen" of Chinese football is far from the typical retirement state of his peers.
Mukeshui's return to Kuncheng is closely tied to the new Vice Chairman Shi Xueqing. Having started his connection with China in Dalian, Mukeshui naturally has a special affection for the city. His decision to return after many years is closely linked to Shi Xueqing, who was newly appointed as Vice Chairman of Dalian Kuncheng Club. It was Shi Xueqing, then General Manager of Dalian Yifang Club, who spotted Mukeshui in the Swedish league and brought him to China. In early 2018, when Yifang Group withdrew, leading to Dalian being taken over by the Football Association, Mukeshui, uncertain about his future, sought advice from Shi Xueqing. The latter's reassurance allowed Mukeshui to focus on waiting for a new owner. In the 2018 season, Mukeshui scored 15 goals in the Super League, becoming the team's top scorer. Their long-term interaction built an extraordinary trust between Mukeshui and the General Manager. At the end of 2018, Shi Xueqing stepped down, and in the summer of 2019, Mukeshui also left Dalian. Over a thousand fans came to the airport to see him off.
Zhao Faqing is the head coach of Dalian Kuncheng, a name familiar only to fans born in the 70s or earlier.
On October 20th, Dalian Kuncheng successfully advanced to the second-tier league; on December 6th, the team reconvened to prepare for the new season; and on the 11th, the club appointed Shi Xueqing as Vice Chairman. Soon after, Shi Xueqing shared a photo with Mukeshui on social media, alerting keen fans to the possibility of "Da Kui's" return, which has now come true. During this period, the club also renewed its contract with head coach Zhao Faqing. Mukeshui is the first signing for Kuncheng Club, and the club is currently in close contact with Nigerian defender Sabir Musa, who played for Liaoning Tieren last season, and is very close to signing him. Standing at 1.95 meters tall, Musa scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists last season. With the addition of Mukeshui, a formidable "heavyweight," Dalian Kuncheng, despite being a newly-promoted team in the second-tier league, has set its sights on promotion. Mukeshui may have the opportunity to achieve a "grand slam" of promotions.