Michael Olunga’s Al Duhail arrived in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia for their Group “D” matches of the 2022 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (West Region) matches slated for April 7-27.
Kenyan captain Olunga is on the list of 23 players named by new Argentinian coach Hernan Crespo for the assignments against Saudi Arabian runners up Al Taawoun, Uzbekistan champions Pakhtakor and Iranian league runners up Sepahan.
Olunga was the AFC Champions League top scorer last season with nine goals having netted in every match against Iranian side Esteghlal, Iraqi side Al Shorta and Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli, but Al Duhail bowed out of the prestigious tournament at the group stage.
The 28-year-old has been placed by AFC on the list of players to watch in this group and would relish at the chance to keep the Golden Boot.
He showed what he is capable of during the just-ended Qatar Stars League campaign where he topped the scoring charts with 24 goals. Olunga was also instrumental in Al Duhail’s Amir Cup success.
The Champions League will be the first real test for former Chelsea star Crespo, who replaced Portuguese ocach Luis Castro.
Crespo oversaw Al Duhail’s 4-0 thumping of Umm Salal in a friendly match on April 2. Nam Tae Hee scored a brace as Abdul Rahman Muhammad and Ismail Muhammad added the others in that warm-up fixture ahead of Champions League.
Al Duhail players list:
Salah Zakaria, Muhammad Al-Bakri, Shehab Al-Laithi, Muhammad Musa, Muhammad Alaa, Ismail Muhammad, Toby Alderfield, Bassam Al-Rawi, Sultan Al-Buraik, Ali Afif, Assem Madbo, Ferjani Sassi, Karim Boudiaf, Louise Martin, Nam Tae Hee, Edmilson da Silva, Rashid Al Abdullah, Lotfi Majer, Al Moez Ali, Muhammad Al Nuaimi, Abdullah Al Ahreq, Abdul Rahman Muhammed, Michael Olunga.
Al Duhail’s fixtures:
April 7 – Al Duhail vs Al Taawoun
April 10 – Sepahan vs Al Duhail
April 14 – Al Duhail vs Pakhtakor
April 18 – Pakhtakor vs Al Duhail
April 22 – Al Taawoun vs Al Duhail
April 26 – Al Duhail vs Sepahan BY DAILY NATION