Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has praised key players of the team ahead of their June World Cup qualifiers.
Firat has described Al-Duhail captain Michael Olunga as one of the best strikers in the world. Olunga, who has been with Al Duhail in Qatar since 2021, has been a prolific scorer both in Qatar and the Asian Champions League. He played a crucial role in helping his team win the domestic treble last year and claimed the golden boot.
Although Al Duhail has struggled this year, Olunga has continued to shine individually whenever he is fit. He has scored 21 goals in all competitions this season and was the hero during the Malawi Four Nations tournament, netting five goals in two matches to help his team win the invitational tournament. Speaking to the Turkish Anadolu Agency (AA) in May, Firat praised Olunga, whom he previously described as the best center forward he had ever coached last September.
“Michael Olunga, who plays in Qatar, is a very extraordinary center-forward. I can say that he is one of the best strikers in the world right now; he has scored seven goals in the last three national matches,” Firat said.
Firat also backed Stade Reims defender Joseph Okumu to play in the English Premier League soon after an impressive first season in Ligue 1. Okumu’s rise to prominence has been significant. The 26-year-old has quickly established himself as an indispensable member of every backline he has been part of since the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. Despite Kenya’s group-stage exit, Okumu stood out and earned a move to Sweden’s IF Elfsborg, where he made the team of the season by his second year, before moving to Belgium’s AA Gent.
At Gent, Okumu performed excellently, helping his team reach the quarterfinals of the Europa Conference League and making SofaScore’s Belgian team of the season. His remarkable rise led to a move to Stade de Reims in the summer. At Reims, he continues to show his potential, and a move to a bigger club that regularly plays Champions League football could be on the horizon.
Firat also praised Portugal-based star Johnstone Omurwa, Okumu’s preferred defensive partner for the national team when fit.
“Many players are playing in Europe. You will see Joseph Okumu, who plays for Reims in France, in the Premier League soon. We are talking about such a player. There is Omurwa, who plays in Portugal. Currently, many star candidates are in our national team,” Firat said.
