Al Duhail striker Michael Olunga has opened up on breaking his club’s all time top scorer record just about four years after joining them.The Harambee Stars captain joined the Qatari side in January 2021, crossing over from Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol, where he had won the golden boot and the J-league Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2020.On 1 November 2024, Olunga scored his goal number 121 for Al Duhail, which made him the club’s all time top scorer, and the Kenyan international appreciated the support of the club in that achievement.STARS ABROAD: Olunga becomes Al Duhail’s all time goalscorer with Friday strike“Reaching the title of the Al Duhail Club all-time top scorer is a great honor for me. It gives me a strong motivation to continue my achievements.Of course, without the support of my teammates and everyone at the club, especially for the people who entrusted me in the club, starting from Al Duhail Club President and the Vice-President as well as each and every person who has believed in my ability, this achievement would not have been possible,” said Olunga who was on pre-match duty for his club ahead of Saturday’s game against Al Sadd.The 30-year-old said that he is not yet satisfied with the achievement, and is angling for more success, while also appreciating the support that he receives from fans and in particular Kenyans living in Doha.FKF President, Michael Olunga visit Qatari Embassy in bid to strengthen football ties“Success is just a motivator, as I mentioned, to move forward and achieve more with the team. I always strive to help the club win titles, both locally and internationally, and leave a great mark with the team. Of course, there’s great support from the fans and the Kenyan community in Doha, and I invite them to support us on Saturday,” he noted.Al Duhail who are on top of the Qatar Stars League with 35 points, will be visitors to second- placed Al Sadd, who have 31 points to their name, at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Saturday 22 February from 1900 hrs in what is expected to be a high octane encounter.يــوم المبـــاراة ⚽️❤️ᴍ ᴀ ᴛ ᴄ ʜ ᴅ ᴀ ʏ#الدحيل | #دوري_نجوم_أريدُ pic.twitter.com/2yroFXvNAN— نادي الدحيل ALDUHAIL (@DuhailSC) February 22, 2025 With only seven matches remaining before the end of the season, the tie match will be a crucial determinant in the title race, and the Upper Hill High School alumnus said that his team is prepared for the match.“We have prepared well to face the strong Al Sadd team, which has strong players. We focused on this match greatly, given that it is a decisive match in our journey, but of course it is not the end of the road. We have completely focused with the technical staff during training in order to improve our performance and correct the mistakes we made in the last match against Al Wakrah.”Recent statistics between the two teams show that neither has dominated the other in recent years, with both teams winning half of their last six encounters.Al Duhail thumped Al Sadd 5-1 in the first leg encounter in September 2024 and will be aiming a double over their arch-rivals for the first time in three seasons, a task the former Gor Mahia striker is ready to contribute to.“Of course we know how important this match is in our journey towards winning the title. The focus starts, as I mentioned, from training, especially on the physical and psychological factors. The pressure will be great and every point during the coming period will be decisive. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8725826##I will strive, in my role as a striker in the team, to improve the offensive side and help in scoring goals, and also through defensive support if necessary. We must all stick together as a group and work to win the match,” he remarked.In the last 10 seasons, Al Sadd and Al Duhail have emerged victorious in nine of them; five for the latter and four for the former with the other one title won by Al Rayyan in the 2015/16 season.Al Duhail will be keen to win the league title at the end of the season after finishing in a disappointing sixth position last season, 21 points shy of Al Sadd, who were crowned champions.
