Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga on the dreadful move that nearly forced him to quit football

Harambee Stars captain has opened up on the moment he almost gave up on his career.

Olunga, currently the captain of, has cemented his legacy as their all-time leading scorer, a feat that came after his meteoric rise in Japan with Kashiwa Reysol. However, his path to stardom was far from straightforward.

After leaving Kenyan Premier League side Gor Mahia for Swedish club Djurgårdens IF, Olunga initially struggled to break into the starting lineup. His breakthrough came on 8 August 2016, when he netted twice in a 3–1 victory over IFK Göteborg.

Michael Olunga has risen from humble beginnings to become Kenya’s highest-earning footballer, securing lucrative contracts across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

 By the end of the season, he was in contention for the golden boot, competing with , then a teenager at AIK and now a star.

His impressive form earned him a move to Chinese Super League side , but this chapter of his career turned out to be a low point. Limited game time and difficulties with the club’s management led to immense frustration for the Kenyan striker.

Reflecting on this difficult period in a previous interview with , Olunga shared, “For me, I think it was in 2018. I was having very limited game time in China as I could not break into the first team. I had a lot of problems with the team management. 

“I tried to push for a spot in the first team, which was not possible, so they loaned me out. It was a blessing in disguise because I was able to move to Spain to play in La Liga.”

Kenya Police coach Etienne Ndayiragije has remained evasive over the futures of experienced duo Musa Mohammed and Patrick Matasi amid reports they are set to depart this month.

During his loan spell at Girona, Olunga made history. On 13 January 2018, he scored a sensational 22-minute hat-trick in a 6–0 demolition of Las Palmas. This achievement made him the first Kenyan player to score a La Liga goal and the first Girona player to net a hat-trick in the Spanish top flight.

“I made history by becoming the first Kenyan player to score a goal in La Liga,” he said. “I really feel it was just a redirection, but I like that part of the game as it teaches us about resilience.”

Olunga credits this challenging period for instilling in him the values of discipline and mental strength, which he now sees as crucial for success in football.

Tanzania assistant coach Juma Mgunda believes an all-East African final is possible at the delayed CHAN 2024 tournament if Kenya, Uganda and his country prepare well.

“We only see the rosy and glittery part of the game,” he explained. “For you to be successful out there, you need to have a strong character. To become one of the best players, you need to have high discipline levels—not just on the training ground, but also in how you recover, what you eat, and how you sleep.”

He also highlighted the pressures of being in the spotlight, adding, “When you are scoring, people want to know you, investigate your life, and paparazzi follow you everywhere. It is the other aspect of the game you need to regulate because one mistake can change the direction of your career.”

From a struggling young footballer on the brink of quitting to a record-breaking forward, Michael Olunga’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience and discipline. His story serves as an inspiration for aspiring players, showing that setbacks can often pave the way for greater triumphs.