‘Engineer’ on the path to club clash with Bavarians
Charles Thuku and Agencies
Kenya’s celebrated striker Micheal Olunga has the prospects of meeting European giants Bayern Munich with his new Qatari club, Al Duhail, in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup next month.
He will be looking forward to his first major test with the Red Knights against the Bavarians but that will be pegged on his team, which is the Asian champion, beating Africa champions Al Ahly of Egypt on February 8 at the Education City Stadium which will also host the final on February 11.
Olunga, who made a record Sh 900 million move to Al Duhail from Kashiwa Reysol in Japan after two-and-a-half seasons with the East Asian outfit, is anticipated to be the second Kenyan player to play in the club World Cup after Macdonald Mariga during the latter’s stint with Inter Milan of Italy in 2010.
The former, Tusker, Gor Mahia and Thika United striker after finishing as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and top scorer at the Japanese J-League was signed by Al Duhail, to replace Croatian Mario Mandzukic who has been snapped up by Italian Serie A club AC Milan.
Olunga who led the score chart at Kashiwa Reysol during his last stint with the team, joined Qatari nationals Mohammed Muntaru and Salmin Atiq in Al Duhail’s attacking line with the duo contributing in the 37 goals the team has plundered in the 2020/21 season.
Al Duhail is placed second in the Qatar top flight league with 28 points from 14 matches and are behind Al Sadd who have collected 38 points from 14 matches played thus far.
And Olunga is obviously, one of the trump cards by Al Duhail’s handlers in the game against Al Ahly.
Cairo giants Al Ahly, coached by South Africa’s Pitso Mosimane, are Africa’s most successful club having been continental champions nine times.
According to the draws which were conducted at Fifa headquarters in Zurich, the semi-final pitting Bayen and either Al Duhail or Al Ahly will be played on February 8 at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, just outside the Qatari capital Doha.
Al Duhail is placed second in the Qatar top flight league with 28 points from 14 matches and are behind Al Sadd who have collected 38 points from 14 matches played thus far.
Meanwhile Al Duhail, whose manager is the former France international and ex-Rennes and Nottingham Forest coach Sabri Lamouchi, qualify for the club showcase as the reigning champions of the host nation and were beneficiaries of a bye into the first round.
On the other side of the draw, Mexican club Tigres UANL, the CONCACAF Champions League winners, will take on Asian champions Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea on February 4 for the right to take on the Copa Libertadores winners in the first semi-final on February 7.
Brazilian clubs Santos and Palmeiras will clash in the delayed South American showpiece at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana on January 30.
