Michael Olunga aims to boost his goal tally in the Asian Champions League as Al Duhail prepares to face Tajikistan champions FC Istiklol in a match with slim hopes of advancing from their group.
Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga is eager to make his mark in the Asian Champions League when Al Duhail takes on FC Istiklol, the champions of Tajikistan, on Monday.
Al Duhail, last season’s semi-finalists, seem to have little chance of progressing to the next stage of the competition, having earned just one point from four group games this season. They will be playing for pride when they take the field in Doha on Monday.
The Qatar champions have struggled in the tournament, starting with a goalless draw against FC Istiklol, followed by a 1-0 loss to Persepolis of Iran, a 4-3 defeat to Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia, and a 3-2 loss to the same opponents.
However, a bright spot for Al Duhail has been the performance of Kenyan striker Olunga, who scored a goal and created another against Al-Nassr, a team led by Cristiano Ronaldo. With Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho among the absentees due to injury, the former Gor Mahia forward is expected to play a central role.
“We are entering an important match in the AFC Champions League, despite the fact that we are aware that our chances of advancing to the next round were very slim, we must respect this tournament because it is very important,” said Al Duhail coach Christophe Galtier.
“For three weeks, the team has been playing without the services of a number of players due to their international participation, and after this match, we will have important matches in the domestic league, and our preparation for this match was very serious and we are working to achieve victory and come out with a positive result, which is important for us.”
Galtier wants his team to view the match as preparation for their upcoming league clash against Umm Salal on Friday, a fixture he considers more crucial.
“This match will give us the motivation to develop and is considered a high-level match, which will make us strive to win it,” added the former Paris Saint-Germain coach.
“After our matches versus Al-Nassr, and we were scoring goals, we must continue to work and achieve victory. We will focus on improving our performance and achieving positive results, and I am confident that the team will approach the match with focus and determination. This match will serve as preparation for our upcoming fixtures.”
In addition to Coutinho, Al Duhail will also be missing French midfielder Ibrahima Diallo, Belgian winger Edmilson Junior, Brazil-born Qatari defender Luiz Martin, and his compatriot midfielder Karim Boudiaf.
Al-Nassr currently leads Group E with a perfect 12 points, followed by Persepolis with seven points, while FC Istiklol has two. With two matches remaining, it appears highly unlikely that Al Duhail, sitting at the bottom of the group with just one point, can secure a path out of the group stage.
