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Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga made a triumphant return to the scoring column for Al Duhail in the Qatar Star League as his team bounced back to victory on Thursday, securing a 2-1 win against Al Markhiya.

Just a few days ago, Al Duhail had suffered a 3-2 defeat, and in that match, Olunga had come off the bench for the final 10 minutes.

Michael Olunga starts

However, this time around, the coach gave him a starting position up front, with former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho deployed behind him.

This tactical decision paid off handsomely as both players found the back of the net during the match.

Olunga wasted no time, needing only 16 minutes to open the scoring. The breakthrough came after Coutinho was fouled in the 18-yard box, resulting in a penalty.

Olunga calmly slotted the ball past the Al Markhiya goalkeeper with his left foot, putting his team in the lead.

However, just eight minutes later, Driss Fettouhi leveled the score for Al Markhiya, making it 1-1.

In the dying minutes of the first half, Al Duhail was awarded a free kick, and Coutinho delivered a beautifully curled shot, giving his team a 2-1 lead.

Olunga subbed off

Both Olunga and Coutinho were substituted in the second half, with Olunga leaving the field in the 80th minute and Coutinho playing for 62 minutes.

Olunga has been in top form this season, tallying five goals in just five appearances. The forward, who was the league’s top scorer in the previous season, has started four matches and made one appearance off the bench, accumulating a total of 358 minutes on the field.

He is currently tied in the goal-scoring charts with Guy Mbenza, while Yacine Ibrahimi leads the league with seven goals.

In the league standings, Al Duhail sits in third place with 10 points, trailing the leader, Al Sadd, by three points.