Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga played a crucial role on Saturday night to help his Al Duhail side cement their position at the top of the 24/25 Qatar Stars League table following a 1-0 victory over Al Ahli.
Olunga scored the goal in the 42nd minute of the intriguing match played at the magnificent Al Thumama Stadium.
The former Gor Mahia player escaped from his marker before meeting Edmilson Junior’s well–delivered cross with a diving header that left Al Ahli goalkeeper diving helplessly.
The vital goal ensured the Christophe Galtier coached side went to the half time break with a slim lead.
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At the start of the second half, Al Duhail picked from where they had left and could have got more goals but they failed to utilize their chances.
As the game went on, the visitors started to enjoy most of the possession as they searched for an equalizer.
However, Al Duhail’s rock solid defence had all the answers to all the questions that Al Ahli asked, ensuring the match ended 1-0.
Speaking after the hard win, Galtier acknowledged that they were lucky to escape with the narrow victory.
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“I am satisfied with the result despite suffering on the technical level after we made many mistakes. Fortunately, we scored our only goal before the end of the first half.
However, there was a lot of haste and playing a lot of long balls, which made our task more difficult,” he explained.
The win was very crucial for Al Duhail since it not only enabled them to maintain their lead at the top of the standings, but also extend their lead over the defending champions Al Sadd to six points.
Up next for Al Duhail is a home clash against Al-Gharafa scheduled to take place on Sunday. October 27 at 7:30 pm East African time.
Olunga celebrates with Edmilson Junior
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