Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga got his 24/25 campaign in the Qatar Stars League off to the perfect start as he bagged a hat trick to help his Al Duhail side register an emphatic 1-6 victory over Qatar SC in their opening match of the season played on Saturday evening at the Qatar SC Stadium in Doha.
Having missed out on the Golden Boot last season after winning it for the previous two seasons consecutively, the former Gor Mahia forward laid his marker of intent for the upcoming campaign by playing a starring role in the opening fixture.
18 minutes in, Olunga already had the ball in the back of the net but his effort did not count after he was found to be in an offside position.
Play here and stand a chance of winning the over 376 Million SportPesa Mega Jackpot
However, with only four minutes left before the halftime break, Olunga found the breakthrough as he rose highest to guide Almoez Ali’s cross into the back of the net.
Three minutes later, neat interplay from Duhail saw Olunga doubling his tally and the team’s lead after Bassam Al Rawi put the ball on a plate for the Kenyan striker who placed his tame shot beyond Motasem Al Bustami’s reach in the Qatar goal.
Qatar managed to pull one back in the 64th minute through DRC international Ben Malango following a defensive Duhail mixup, but that strike proved to infuriate the Christophe Galtier-coached side as Ismaeel Mohammed tapped into an empty net five minutes later to restore their two-goal cushion.
ALSO READ: Paris 2024: Brilliant Faith Kipyegon wins third straight Olympic 1500m gold
Mohammed was at it again in the 82nd minute as he wrapped his brace after once again being teed up by Ali who led a prompt Duhail breakaway.
The Qatar defense turned chaotic and Duhail found its fifth just two minutes later with Abdullah Al Ahrak rifling past Bustami.
Deep into stoppage time, Olunga ensured he took home the match ball as he unleashed a thunderbolt to seal his hat trick that took him to the top of the scoring charts and Al Duhail to the top of the standings.
“I am proud of the great commitment shown by the players and their full respect for the game plan set. I asked them from the start to set the tempo of the game and confirm their desire to win by scoring goals, and they succeeded in doing so.
Winning today is very important, but now we have to prepare well for the next match. We’re going to face Ryan’s team, and it’s not going to be easy by any means.
Scoring six goals in the first game doesn’t mean the next games will be easy, on the contrary, it takes more commitment and hard work from us,” Galtier said after the game.
Michael Olunga celebrates after scoring
ALSO READ: SportPesa launch revolutionary Tujiamini Initiative to nurture talent
Tujiamini is an initiative that seeks to provide a platform, including up to 30M shillings in funding, for individual, team sports and various talent, in a year-long campaign that will go around the country in a move aimed at evoking the sense of pride in Kenya’s sports and talent ecosystem.
Applicants are urged to submit their applications through www.tujiamini.co.ke