Olunga: Why I am impressed by Harambee Stars
By Joel Sang, September 8, 2023Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga has explained why he is satisfied with the team’s performance following a 2-1 victory over Qatar on Thursday, September 7, 2023.
Kenya emerged winners of the friendly match staged in Doha, Qatar, after goals from Joseph Okumu and Amos Nondi, while the only goal for the 2022 World Cup hosts was scored by Hassan Al-Haydos, who converted from the spot.
Harambee Stars’ collective effort
Harambee Stars’ collective effort is what impressed Olunga the most, and the Al Duhail striker has also called for more games in order to make the team more prepared.
“Qatar played really well, but we showed character; the tempo of the game was quite high, and with the collective effort that the team had, we can continue to play these kinds of games.
“I am super proud of the collective effort,” Olunga said in his post-match reaction.
Although Olunga said Qatar were a difficult opponent to face, he was further impressed by how Harambee Stars responded to the challenge and even scored late in the second half.
“I am happy for my team’s performance; we started the game well and finished well.
“It was very difficult because the Qatar national team played really good football, but in the end, we managed to score in the last minute, and congratulations to all the teams,” he added.
Olunga’s open chance
Olunga himself came close to finding the net, but he ended up sending his effort wide after a one-on-one situation. However, he played a key role as he beat a number of Qatari players and set up Nondi for Kenya’s late winner.
The win in Doha is set to motivate Kenya ahead of their second friendly in the September FIFA window against South Sudan on Tuesday at Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani.
The friendlies have been organised in order to prepare the national team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.