Olunga named in October Team of the Month

Kenya’s Michael Olunga has been named in J1 League Team of the Month of October. 

The 26-year-old Olunga and attacking midfielder Ataru Esaka are the only players from Kashiwa Reysol to make the best 11 players.

Olunga scored six goals in October to get the nod as the lead striker in the Team of the Month. 

He grabbed consecutive braces in the league as Kashiwa defeated Yokohama FC 3-0 (October 3) and Vissel Kobe 4-3 (October 10). Olunga netted one goal each against Shonan Bellmare on October 18 and Gamba Osaka on October 24 as Kashiwa lost 3-2 and 2-1 respectively.

The lanky Kenyan international did not score against Urawa Red Diamonds as the sides drew 1-1 on October 14 and in the 3-1 win against FC Tokyo on October 28.

Coach Nelsinho Baptista left Olunga out of match-day squad against Shimizu S-Pulse on October 31. Olunga has scored 23 goals and Etaru nine this season for Kashiwa who are ranked ninth with 41 points.

Fourteen members of Kashiwa Reysol team have since tested positive for coronavirus leading to matches against Vegalta Sendai in the league on November 3 and FC Tokyo in the Levain Cup final on November 7 to be postponed. The football club has suspended all its activities and gone into quarantine.

Chiba Prefecture where Kashiwa is based has 5,234 confirmed coronavirus cases. Eighty-two people have succumbed to the Covid-19 disease in the prefecture.

Squad

Goalkeeper

Masaaki Higashiguchi (Gamba Osaka)

Defenders

Kyohei Noborizato (Kawasaki Frontale), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Ao Tanaka (Kawasaki Frontale)

Midfielders

Yuichi Maruyama (Nagoya Grampus), Sho Inagaki (Nagoya Grampus); Attacking midfielders - Mateus (Nagoya Grampus), Hayao Kawabe (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Ataru Esaka (Kashiwa Reysol)

Forward

Michael Olunga (Kashiwa Reysol)