Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has come out to explain why his captain and striker Michael Olunga sometimes struggles to find his scoring boots in national team colours.There are occasions when the Al Duhail SC player fades away in Harambee Stars matches and can not just seem to overcome the pressure and deliver on the responsibility on his shoulders as Kenya’s main source of goals.This has expectedly come with its fair share of criticism from the passionate Kenyan fans especially when the final results also do not go in Kenya’s favour.Firat has jumped on Olunga’s defense and explained why that sometimes happens, noting that the problem is not as simple as it looks at face value.Marcelo, Okumu return as Engin Firat names Harambee Stars squad for AFCON qualifiers“Look, the problem is bigger. It is not so simple. If you recall my press conferences, I am always talking about the wings,” he started.He said that the main problem comes when he is the only source of threat in the team.“The reason is that as long as our two wings are not dangerous, then the opponent focuses too much on Olunga and so if the two opposing central defenders can play focusing only on Olunga, then there is no way he can come out of that,” said Firat.The Turkish tactician who was speaking in an interview with Passion Sports, however, recognized that there are days when the former Gor Mahia striker also misses chances even when all factors are in his favour.##NAJAVA_MECA_8298128##He explained that such instances happen to all players and human beings which again is also a characteristic of the game.“He can have a bad day of course when he is not scoring goals. He is also human and people need to understand that. He is not from Mars,” he said.Firat said that sometimes his captain also does not take enough credit for some of the goals that he scores.“Against Gabon for instance, he missed an empty goal in the last minute of the match but this can happen. Kenyan International Onyango signs for South African sideOn the other hand, he scored a goal against Zimbabwe from outside the penalty area when no one thought that he was going to even take a shot at that moment,” he explained.The former Moldova national team head coach went on to praise the Kenyan captain for his capabilities as a player.“He is a special player who is very important to us. I have never had a moment with the whole team to set up a structure that favours all which is part of the problem,” he went on.The 54-year-old tactician said that the only time he seemed to have had all his preferred players in the team, Olunga was unstoppable.##NAJAVA_MECA_8298046##“In the tournament held in Malawi, he scored five goals partly because we had Ayub Timbe and Rooney Onyango on either flanks who were very dangerous. This then opened the spaces on the side and created the opportunity for Olunga to come in and score,” he concluded.Harambee Stars fans and indeed Kenyans have been hoping to see the 2015 FKF Premier League Most Valuable Player replicate the scoring form that he has shown at club level and bring joy to their faces.Last season for instance, he scored 15 league goals in 18 matches for Al Duhail while in the 2022/2023 season, he scored 22 league goals in 22 matches in the Qatar Stars League.AFC Leopards’ Omune makes a comeback to the national team Harambee StarsThis season, he has hit the ground running with three goals to his name already having bagged a hat-trick in Al Duhail’s opening match of the seasonIn fact, he has made a name for himself in Qatar having won the Mansour Muftah Award for the League’s top scorer twice.He won the much-coveted award in the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 seasons with 24 and 22 goals respectively.With the international break around the corner and Kenya hoping to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Kenyans will be hoping that the 30-year-old striker will be at his best against Zimbabwe as the team starts its campaign for the continental tourney.##NAJAVA_MECA_8298214##Coach Firat must then call up the wingers that he believes will make the flanks dangerous and reduce the attention on Olunga who, according to him, will then thrive.
