Michael Olunga’s hat-trick against Zimbabwe has elevated him to the ranks of Kenya’s football legends, putting Dennis Oliech’s record at risk. As captain of the Harambee Stars, Michael Olunga has ascended to fourth place on Kenya’s all-time top scorers list, following his remarkable performance against Zimbabwe in the Four Nations tournament on Tuesday.
Olunga played a pivotal role in Kenya’s 3-1 comeback victory over Zimbabwe, scoring the equalizer just before halftime and then adding two more goals to secure the win.
Kenya concluded the tournament with a total of seven goals, thanks in part to their 4-0 rout of the host nation, Malawi, on Saturday, with Olunga contributing five of those goals. The Al Duhail striker’s brace against Malawi increased his total to 26 goals, but after the Zimbabwe match, he now boasts 29 goals from 58 appearances. This achievement moves him ahead of Livingstone Madegwa and Ali Akajo, who each had 26 goals before Tuesday’s game.
Elijah Lidonde, a legend from AFC Leopards who scored 33 goals for the Harambee Stars in just 26 matches between 1950 and 1961, is now within Olunga’s reach. Olunga is also close to surpassing Dennis Oliech, who is second on the all-time list with 34 goals from 76 games played between 2002 and 2015. William Ouma, a former forward for Gor Mahia, tops the list with 35 goals from 66 games played between 1965 and 1977, meaning Olunga is just six goals shy of matching him.
Celebrating his 30th birthday with a hat-trick on Thursday, and with plenty of football still ahead, Olunga is poised to potentially surpass Ouma and claim the title of Kenya’s greatest striker.
Olunga’s recent form, with seven goals in his last three national team appearances, is a positive sign for Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat, who has supported him through a goalless streak from March to November 2023. With challenging matches against Burundi and the African champions Ivory Coast in the World Cup qualifiers this June, Kenya’s hopes are high for Olunga as he also aims to achieve personal milestones.
