Schools and Clubs Michael Olunga Played for Before Making History in La Liga

The Kenya Times ~ Trending, Breaking News and Videos

Schools and Clubs Michael Olunga Played for Before Making History in La Liga

Michael Olunga Ogada is a Kenyan professional footballer who plays as a striker and is the current captain of Al‑Arabi SC in the Qatar Stars League.

Early Life and Academics

Michael Olunga Ogada was born on March 26, 1994, in Nairobi, Kenya, where he grew up before beginning his football journey.

He attended Upper Hill School, where he described the experience as crucial to his academic and football development.

While still a student there, he joined Liberty Sports Academy, a Nairobi‑based youth side competing in the local county leagues.

At Liberty, Olunga combined his schooling with competitive football, showing early signs of exceptional ability.

His standout academic‑football balance was shown when he scored seven goals in a single match during the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) national championships.

The match ended Upper Hill 8–0 Kamunge Secondary School.

That performance came in 2010 and immediately thrust him into the national spotlight as one of Kenya’s most prolific young forwards.

During the 2012 season, he scored 32 goals, helping Liberty Academy finish the campaign unbeaten in the Nairobi County League.

Rise Through the Kenyan Premier League

Michael Olunga’s entry into top-flight football began when Liberty Sports Academy loaned him to Tusker FC in December 2012.

The move gave him his first exposure to the Kenyan Premier League, where he gained valuable experience despite scoring only two goals that season.

His performances, however, were strong enough to draw the attention of other clubs, and in 2014, he joined Thika United on another loan spell.

At Thika, he improved significantly, scoring nine league goals and establishing himself as one of the league’s most promising young strikers.

His major breakthrough came in 2015 when he joined Gor Mahia.

Michael Olunga scored 19 league goals, finishing as the club’s top scorer and helping Gor Mahia secure an unbeaten league title.

That campaign earned him the Most Valuable Player award at the 2015 Kenya Premier League Awards.

Move to Europe

Michael Olunga earned his first move abroad in February 2016 when he signed a four‑year contract with Swedish top‑flight side Djurgårdens IF.

The transfer followed a successful trial period during the club’s pre‑season camp, where he impressed the coaching staff with his discipline, physical presence, and finishing ability.

He scored 12 goals in his final 12 league matches.

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By the end of the season, he ranked fifth in the Allsvenskan scoring chart and received a nomination for Sweden’s Newcomer of the Year award, a recognition decided by Allsvenskan coaches and national team selectors, where he finished third.

Michael Olunga’s Move to Asia

Following his successful spell in Sweden, Michael Olunga completed a transfer to Guizhou Zhicheng in the Chinese Super League in January 2017.

He featured in nine league matches and scored two goals during his time there.

Later in 2017, Olunga secured a season‑long loan move to Girona FC in Spain’s La Liga.

This move placed him on one of the biggest stages in world football and offered the chance to test himself against Europe’s elite.

His defining moment came on January 13, 2018, when he scored a historic hat‑trick in Girona’s 6–0 victory over Las Palmas.

With that performance, Olunga became both the first Kenyan player and the first Girona player to score a hat‑trick in La Liga.

Michael Olunga’s move to Japan in August 2018 marked the beginning of the most prolific chapter of his career, when he joined Kashiwa Reysol.

During the 2019 J2 League season, Olunga scored 27 league goals and added nine assists, and famously delivered a surprising eight‑goal thriller in a 13–1 win over Kyoto Sanga, one of the most dominant individual performances ever recorded in Japanese football.

The run powered Kashiwa Reysol to the 2019 J2 League title, securing the club’s return to the J1 League.

Olunga’s consistency continued in the 2020 J1 League, where he produced an even more historic season.

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He scored 28 goals, finishing as the league’s top scorer and winning the 2020 J1 League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, becoming the first African player to earn the honour.

Record‑Breaking Years in Qatar

Michael Olunga moved to Al‑Duhail SC in January 2021 and became the club’s main striker.

Olunga scored 112 goals in 129 appearances for Al‑Duhail across all competitions, establishing himself as the club’s most consistent attacking force during his four‑year spell.

During his time with the club, Olunga helped Al‑Duhail win the Qatar Stars League (2022/23), the Emir Cup (2022), the Qatar Cup (2023), and the QSL Cup (2022/23).

Olunga left Al‑Duhail as the club’s all‑time leading scorer, finishing with 130 goals in all competitions before his departure at the end of the 2024/25 season.

In July 2025, Olunga signed a two‑year contract with Al‑Arabi SC following the expiration of his deal with Al‑Duhail.

He made an immediate impact in the Qatar Stars League. Olunga scored 6 goals and provided 1 assist in his first eleven league appearances for Al‑Arabi in the 2025/26 season.

Michael Olunga has been a central figure for the Kenya national football team Harambee Stars since making his international debut on March 29, 2015, in a friendly match against Seychelles.

He has scored 34 goals for the Harambee Stars in official international matches, placing him just behind William Ouma, the record holder with 35 goals.

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This post Schools and Clubs Michael Olunga Played for Before Making History in La Liga first appeared on The Kenya Times ~ Trending, Breaking News and Videos and is written by Wiltord Otieno