Olunga, Ronaldo clash in AFC Champions League
Kenya's Michael Olunga in action in a past Al Duhail match. Al-Duhail face Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in a crucial Champions League match in Saudi Arabia on October 24, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Qatari giants Al-Duhail, on the other hand, have started the season on a wobbly note drawing 0-0 against Istiklol away on September 19 before succumbing to a 1-0 loss at home on October 2.
- Despite registering just two wins in six matches across all competitions, Al-Duhail are unbeaten against Al-Nassr. In the four matches they have faced each other in Champions League, Al-Duhail have won twice, including 4-0 when they met last in 2016, and drawn twice.
Harambee Stars forward Michael Olunga will on Tuesday hope to get the better of Portuguese great Cristiano Ronaldo when their clubs, Al-Duhail and Al-Nassr collide in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League in Saudi Arabia.
The two players have met once, in March 2018 in a LaLiga tie when Kenyan captain Olunga was playing for Girona on loan from Chinese side Hengfeng and Ronaldo turning out for Real Madrid. Ronaldo scored four goals in that match which ended 6-3 in favour of Madrid.
They clash again in the Pool “E” fixture which kicks off at 9pm Kenyan time. The Saudi Arabian side has won six of their last seven Champions League matches, including beating Persepolis (Iran) 2-0 and Istiklol (Tajikistan) in its first two matches in this campaign.
Qatari giants Al-Duhail, on the other hand, have started the season on a wobbly note drawing 0-0 against Istiklol away on September 19 before succumbing to a 1-0 loss at home on October 2.
Despite registering just two wins in six matches across all competitions, Al-Duhail are unbeaten against Al-Nassr. In the four matches they have faced each other in Champions League, Al-Duhail have won twice, including 4-0 when they met last in 2016, and drawn twice.
This fixture presents Olunga with a great chance of becoming the player with the most goals for Al Duhail in the Champions League.
He is currently second on the list of Al Duhail’s best goal scorers in the Champions League with 15 goals, just one behind former players Youssef El-Arabi (Morocco) and Youssef Msakni (Tunisia) and two ahead of Belgian play-maker Edmilson DaSilva.
Al-Duhail recently fired Argentine Hernan Crespo and replaced him with former Paris Saint-Germain boss Christopher Galtier.
The reigning Qatari Stars League champions signed Brazilian winger Philippe Coutinho on loan from English Premier League side Aston Villa on September 8.
Al-Nassr boasts of big names among them two-time African Footballer of the Year Sadio Mane.
Al Duhail reached the semi-final stage in 2022 Champions League, before suffering a 7-0 aggregate los at the hands of Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal. The Saudi Arabian giants went on to lose 2-1 against Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds in the final.
Olunga, 29, joined Al-Duhail from Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol on January 12, 2021. He won the Champions League Golden Boot in his first season after scoring nine goals, but his side crashed out at the group stage.
He has emerged the QSL top scorer in the last two seasons, netting 24 goals in 2021-2022 and 22 goals in 2022-2023.
“We are hoping for success not only locally, but also in the Asian Champions League. We hope to continue to perform to great height," he said in a recent interview.
Winners of the 10 groups and six second best-placed sides will qualify for the Round of 16.
