Flashscore caught up with Olunga for an exclusive chat at the training ground of his new team Al-Arabi, during our visit to the Qatar Stars League. A competition the Kenyan star knows very well as he just entered his sixth season there.
"I spent five great years at Al-Duhail, now I want to help Al-Arabi get back to the level where we belong," said Olunga, who scored three goals in his first five appearances for his new club.
"The life in Qatar is great, very good for the family, and the football atmosphere is growing too. Especially since the World Cup. QSL is improving more and more, it's been really amazing," he added.
Olunga motivated by McCarthy
Other than his club duties, Olunga believes he still has a lot to play for with the national team of Kenya.
"I think we have a new found belief in the team under Benni McCarthy. Especially after the last edition of CHAN, we had a good stint there, even though we were eliminated in the quarter final. But overall, there has really been an improvement in terms of how the team plays," he said.
"Now we're building towards the next AFCON which will be in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. So we're looking forward to the big tournament in our country and believe that we are on a good ascendancy. More players are moving to Europe, playing outside the Kenya Premier League, that will be a good step for our team come 2027," Olunga believes.
Olunga also has a personal goal to achieve with the Harambee Stars. With 34 goals for the national team, he is just one goal shy of the record held by William Ouma.
"Having a coach like Benni McCarthy, who is the all-time top scorer for South Africa, it gives me motivation to believe it is achievable," the Al-Arabi striker said. "Hopefully, if I continue to work hard with the national team, God will give me the opportunity one day to be the all-time top goalscorer for Kenya."
However, Olunga knows already he will not have a chance to break that record in November, as he was left out of the squad that will take on the Comoros and Madagascar in friendly matches.
"That's the coach's decision. I believe each and every player was selected out of merit and give their best," Olunga acknowledged. "Now we're entering a new transition phase when we bring young players into the squad, so the senior players have been dropped for the friendlies and the coach will have the chance to integrate the new boys and test them out," he added.
"I know I still have a lot more to give to Kenya, I want to keep working hard for the national team. Whenever the country needs me, I'll always be there. It's always an honor to represent Kenya," Olunga concluded.
Ogam's move is positive
One of Olunga's potential successors in the Harambee Stars squad is Ryan Ogam, who recently transferred to Wolfsberger in Austria.
"It's a very good, positive thing for Kenyan football, I'm so happy for him. It shows that we have the potential to produce these kind of players. He's been really impressive for the national team in the recent fixtures, I really hope we can produce more such players," Olunga commented.
"I wish him the best in Austria. I know he has the quality to be one of the top strikers produced in our country," he mentioned. "This move also encourages other young players who are now in the Kenya Premier League to follow his steps and work hard."
Olunga back Morocco to repeat World Cup performance
Asked about the upcoming edition of AFCON, Michael Olunga picked three favorites.
"AFCON is a tight call. Ivory Coast and Egypt were really strong in the qualifiers, I'd put them in the top three. Morocco, they are playing at home, will have the crowd behind them. And we all know what they did at the World Cup, and even in the qualifiers they had an impressive run. So for me, I'd say Morocco, Egypt and Ivory coast as the top three," he said.
With the FIFA World Cup drawing near, Olunga also offered his reasoning behind Kenya's failure to qualify for the tournament.
"We started the competition well. But we played most of our games outside our country, because we didn't have the proper CAF accredited stadiums. And lack of playing at home can really derail your performances," he explained.
"Now, since the stadiums were inspected by CAF and we managed to play most of our recent home games, you can see the transition. We are generating good results. So, I believe going forward, with the team that is coming up, uh, we are going to produce positive results. And hopefully try to qualify for the next editions."
