A brace in the Asian Champions League match against Istiklol made Kenya’s captain Michael Olunga Al Duhail’s all-time top scorer in the inter-club continental competition.

Olunga scored twice as Al Duhail claimed a 2-0 victory to mark their first Group E win on Monday, and the achievement was a double joy for the Harambee Stars’ skipper.

Olunga scored his first goal in the 47th minute, before the second came in the 89th minute. He has now scored 18 goals for the Qatar Stars League, making him the club’s top scorer in the Champions League.

While addressing the press after the match, Olunga, who was named the man of the match, acknowledged how difficult it is for them to progress to the knockout stage.

Olunga happy

“First of all, I am happy because we achieved our first victory in the tournament, which is good for us.

“We achieved what was required of us in the second half, and it is difficult to keep up with these clubs because of their chances of qualifying.

“Everyone is happy, especially since we are representing a team like Al Duhail that only accepts victories. I am also happy because I won the man of the match award, and this came thanks to the help of my teammates throughout the match,” Olunga said.

Olunga attributed Al Duhail’s poor form in the previous games to injuries and the absences of a number of his teammates.

“We have no excuses, but we suffer from many absences and injuries, and our goal in the club is to achieve victory in all matches.

“We are playing on several fronts, not just the AFC Champions League, but there are the domestic competitions that we seek to achieve during the coming period,” the former Kashiwa Reysol star added.

Galtier’s reaction

On his part, coach Christophe Galtier compared their performances between Istiklol and Al-Nassr, which have the likes of Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks.

“There is a big difference between the teams we faced, such as Al Nassr and Al Istiklol. Al Nassr has high-class attacking players, while the Al Istiklol team is respectable and good at spreading on the field.

“We achieved the result we sought, and the good defensive performance is what prevented the opposing team from scoring; nevertheless, we must work and improve from one match to another, and our victory does not mean that there are no mistakes that must be corrected if we want to win titles,” the French tactician said.