There’s a tunnel in Belgrade, Serbia, that Osman Bukari knows well. It sits beneath the towering grandstand at Red Star Belgrade Stadium, connecting the players’ dressing room to the playing field. For six decades, this tunnel – stretching over 100 yards long, covered in graffiti, barely wide enough to traverse without colliding into the dozens of heavily armored special forces police officers stationed within it – has comprised what’s known as the most intimidating walk in world soccer.
From 2022 to 2024, it was Bukari’s commute to work.
Today, his walk is a bit different. Now, instead of a concrete tube, he traverses the überpremium Q2 Field Club at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium en route to the pitch. And instead of riot police carrying batons and tasers, he brushes by well-to-do fans and corporate guests snapping videos for their Instagram stories.
In this way and in many others, Major League Soccer is an adjustment for players molded by the more grisly soccer climates of Europe and South America. It’s why you often see high-priced, much-hyped players with mouthwatering résumés head stateside only to struggle in their first season.
Bukari is another example. After debuting for Austin FC last July following a $7 million transfer from Red Star, Bukari played in 11 matches and made little impact, finishing that season with just one goal and two assists.
He began this season – his first full campaign in MLS – auspiciously, scoring the club’s first goal of the year in a season-opening win. After that, however, his performance faded mightily. His game-changing speed and world-class dribbling ability weren’t impacting Austin FC’s ability to score, and his minutes under head coach Nico Estévez declined.
“I know [the club is] expecting a lot from me,” Bukari said after a stretch of several games without a goal contribution. “It’s not easy at the moment, but I just need to keep on going. Whatever happened, it happened. So I just believe in myself, and I know what I can do, and if it’s not coming, I just keep on pushing, pushing, pushing.”
The 26-year-old Ghanaian did exactly that. With multiple matches each week, the month of May has provided an opportunity for Bukari to finally find himself in rhythm in an Austin FC shirt. It began with back-to-back encouraging home performances against Atlanta United and the Vancouver Whitecaps. While there were still no goals or assists to be found, Bukari’s impact was noticeable. In the 0-0 draw versus Vancouver, Bukari was easily the best player on the pitch.
He had, for possibly the first time in his Austin FC career, a palpable air of confidence around him.
That confidence carried over into the following two matches last week. First, Bukari won and then scored a penalty kick that gave Austin FC a crucial second goal, then assisted on a third goal, against the Houston Dynamo in the U.S. Open Cup, helping ATXFC advance to the quarterfinal round. Three days later, on Saturday, he recorded an assist on Žan Kolmanič’s equalizing goal that secured a point for the Verde and Black on the road against Minnesota United.
“We’re happy that he is doing much better now and he’s helping the team,” Estévez said. “We have to keep pushing him and see what his limits are.”
Interestingly, rumors have started circulating out of Serbia that Red Star have identified a reunion with Bukari as their top transfer pursuit. Bukari, however, doesn’t want to hear any of that. Not when things are finally beginning to click for him in Verde.
“I saw [the rumors online] too. I don’t know anything… For me, I have a contract here, so whatever will happen, I’m just focusing on Austin FC,” Bukari said.
It doesn’t sound like Bukari is in any rush to resume those long walks through the tunnel anytime soon.
This article appears in May 30 • 2025.
