Olunga scores 4 goals to hand Al-Duhail the Qatar league title
Tuesday May 09 2023
Michael Olunga (C) dribbles past AL Rayyan players during an AFC Champions League group match played on February 19, 2023. PHOTO | COURTESY
Kenyan international Michael Olunga on Monday evening struck four times to hand Al-Duhail SC the 2022/23 Qatar Stars League title with a 5-2 rout over Al-Shamal.
With the four strikes, the ‘Harambee’ Stars captain deservedly clinched this season's Golden Boot with a massive 22 goals. He was crowned last season’s top scorer with 24 goals.
Al-Duhail topped the 12-team league with 51 points from 22 matches, two points above their closest title challenger Al-Arabi, who thumped Al-Sadd 2-1 in the other crucial match held on Monday evening too.
It is the first time that Olunga has won the Qatar Stars League title with Al-Duhail since moving in 2021.
No room for mistakes
Heading into their final match of the season against Al-Shamal, there was no room for the leaders to falter since only a win guaranteed them the title.
Had Al-Duhail lost or drawn against Al-Shamal, Al-Arabi would have secured the title thanks to their victory over Al-Saad.
A stalemate in the two crucial matches would have favoured Olunga’s side Al-Duhail.
Panic gripped Al-Duhail fans when Al-Arabi leapfrogged their side at the top of the log after Abdulla Hasaan found the back of Al-Sadd’s net in the second minute.
But Al-Duhail reclaimed their lead through Ali Amoez’s goal in the seventh minute, before Olunga scored on 21, 31 and 35 minutes to give his side a healthy 4-0 win over Al-Shamal at the break.
Olunga scored his second goal from the spot. One minute into the second half, Matis Nani reduced the deficit for Al-Shamal from the spot, but Olunga netted another goal on 51 minutes.
Mostafa Meshaal scored another consolation goal for Al -Shamal in added time.
Omar Al Somah of Al-Arabi, whom Olunga had tied with at the scorers’ chart ahead of the final league matches, scored only one goal to finish with 19 goals, Olunga headed into the match psyched up, having earlier in the day been nominated for the Qatar Football Association Best Player of the Year Award alongside Akram Afifa of Al Sadd and Youssef Msakni of Al Arabi.