Michael Olunga Opens Up Over Long Injury Lay-off After First Start in Seven Months

Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga has expressed his delight after making a return to action following a long injury lay-off.

Olunga made an emphatic return to Al Arabi's starting lineup, delivering two assists to inspire his side to a dominant 6-0 thrashing of Al-Shahania in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) on Friday.

Making his first competitive start since March following a lengthy battle with a severe pelvic injury, the former Gor Mahia marksman made an immediate impact, orchestrating goals for Oussama Tannane and Pablo Sarabia to keep Al Arabi's unbeaten streak alive.

Jordan Veretout broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval, setting the tone for the hosts before Sarabia calmly dispatched a penalty in first-half stoppage time to double the advantage.

Al Arabi maintained their relentless tempo after the restart. Just four minutes into the second half, Olunga delivered a precise assist for Tannane to make it 3-0. The Kenyan striker turned creator again shortly after, teeing up Sarabia for the team's fourth of the evening.

Sarabia completed his hat-trick in the 72nd minute, and Youssef Snana rounded off the scoring with a late sixth.

Commenting on his return, Olunga was excited that he made an impact after staying on the sidelines for long.

“First start of the season since my injury in January. Worked hard for days like these,” he posted on social media.

The commanding victory marks Al Arabi's third win in six league outings, elevating them to third place in the standings on 12 points.

Olunga’s return is also a massive boost for Harambee Stars who have been struggling for goals in his absence.

In the just concluded international window, Kenya could only score one goal in three matches, following a 1-1 home draw with Eritrea, a 1-0 loss away to Guinea followed by a goalless draw with Rwanda.

With Benni McCarthy’s men having a double header against South Africa next month, the Harambee Stars skipper’s availability will be a massive boost.