Olunga’s brace lifts Al Duhail past Al Rayyan in five-goal thriller
By Joel Sang, November 3, 2023Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga was in good form as he scored twice to help Al Duhail beat Al Rayyan 3-2 in a Qatar Stars League match played on Thursday night, November 2, 2023.
The Stars League’s champions were staring at a loss but managed a comeback with great effort from the Golden Boot award holder.
Olunga’s side was 2-0 down at halftime, but a remarkable comeback was witnessed by Christophe Glatier’s side, who eventually claimed a victory in the matchday eight game at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.
Guedes scored the opening goal in the 15th minute before getting the second in the 41st minute, as Al Rayyan enjoyed a rather healthy lead going into the halftime break.
Al Rayyan were not as dominant in the second half as they were in the first one and conceded a penalty in the 58th minute. Asim Madibo was obstructed inside the penalty area, and Olunga’s side was given a lifeline with a penalty that was converted by Al Moez in the 59th minute.
Olunga’s brace
Al Duhail kept fighting, and in the 80th minute, Olunga scored the second after he slotted home a rebounding ball from Sultan Al Brake’s shot. Eight minutes later, the former Kashiwa Reysol star scored his second when he managed to beat Al Rayyan’s goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.
Galtier’s reaction
After the game, Al Duhail manager Galtier said he was confident his side was destined for a victory despite the first-half setback.
“I was convinced and confident that my team would come back in the second half, and this is the reality of the performance we demonstrated.
“I watched Al Rayyan’s last game in the league versus Al Gharafa, and the scenario was identical to what happened today, as Al Gharafa won in the last minutes, and today’s victory is very important for us. We had to win, especially since the match was against our direct competitor in the league,” Galtier told the club’s website.
The French manager, however, believes his players are exhausted: “We did not have much time to rest, and the players are exhausted, and we will try to recover as much as possible. The match is a good preparation for our next match versus Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League, as it is the best preparation for it.