Olunga bags first hat trick of season in Al Duhail emphatic win

Harambee Stars skipper Michael Olunga took home the match ball after notching his first hat-trick of the season in Al Duhail's 3-0 win over Qatar Sporting Club in the Qatar Stars League on Wednesday evening.

The former Gor Mahia forward has put a challenging start to the season by his lofty standards behind him after finding the back of the net once in the opening five games.

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The reigning Qatar Stars League Golden Boot winner is now joint-third in the top scorers charts with four goals, two shy of the leader Gelson Dala from Angola who has six goals thus far.

With the referee’s whistle still sounding around the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Olunga wasted no time in getting into the scoresheet as he rounded the keeper to slot home the ball in the fourth minute.

Duhail’s bright start to the game fizzled off but they ended the half with a healthy two goal advantage as Olunga stepped up to take a penalty in the 42nd minute as he sent the keeper the wrong way to score as the ball cannoned off the post on its way in.

Qatar SC were handed a chance to half the deficit in the 65th minute when they were awarded a penalty but Bashar Resan could not convert his spot kick.

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They were meant to pay for their missed chance seconds later when Olunga received a pass on the left side of the box and curled in a cheeky shot into the near post to complete his hat-trick as he celebrated with an acrobatic backflip.

Duhail move to second on the log standings with 13 points from six games and are just two points off the top spot that is currently occupied by Al Arabi.

Meanwhile Brian Mandela Onyango missed out as Mamelodi Sundowns edged Chippa United 1-0 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium courtesy of a Peter Shalulile stoppage time strike.