Michael Olunga: The World-Famous Kenyan Striker Dominating Global Football

Michael Olunga is one of Kenya’s best football exports who has put the country on the map since moving abroad in 2016.

The striker made waves in the Kenyan league while still a teenager and he went on to live up to the promise with his goal scoring prowess, winning his teams titles, while bringing him individual accolades and wealth.

Michael Olunga remains one of Africa’s top strikers and even now in his 30s, he is yet to lose his position in the national team despite the emergence of younger strikers which shows how highly regarded he is.

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Born on March 26, 1994 in Nairobi, Kenya, Michael Olunga burst onto the scene in 2012 while still a student at Upper Hill High School when he joined Liberty Sports Academy in the Nairobi County League.

He scored 32 goals for the side during the 2012 season, helping them finish the season unbeaten, and earn promotion to the Nairobi Provincial League.

Liberty Academy would then loan Michael Olunga to Kenyan Premier League side Tusker FC for the 2013 season where the striker managed just two goals before he went back to his club who sent him out on loan again, this time at the now defunct Thika United.

At Thika United, Olunga scored nine goals in 26 games and after this, record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia came knocking, offering the forward a chance in the 2015 season although he played there on loan again.

Michael Olunga scored 19 league goals to emerge the top scorer as Gor Mahia won the league unbeaten and he was named the Most Valuable Player that season.

After his heroics with Gor Mahia, Michael Olunga was ripe for Europe and he made the switch to Swedish side Djurgardens IF in February 2016, signing a four-year deal.

He, however, lasted just one season but made his mark when he bagged 12 goals which saw him finish fifth in the Allsvenskan top scorer table. He was nominated for the Newcomer of the Year Award but lost out to Alexander Isak.

At this time, there was reported interest in Michael Olunga from La Liga side Real Betis, Belgian clubs Lokeren and Club Brugge as well as Swedish champions Malmo FF.

However, Michael Olunga opted to move to China, joining Guizhou Zhicheng in 2017 although he played there just briefly.

In September 2017, ahead of the 2017-2018 season, Guizhou Zhicheng loaned Michael Olunga to Spanish La Liga club Girona until the end of the campaign and here, he made his own bit of history.

Michael Olunga made 16 appearances in all competitions for Girona, scoring three goals, but they were very memorable.

This is because on January 13, 2018, he made his La Liga debut against Las Palmas, scoring a hat-trick in the span of 22 minutes during a 6-0 win. He became both the first Kenyan player and the first Girona player to score a hat-trick in La Liga.

After his stint with Girona, Michael Olunga went back to Asia, this time in Japan, joining Kashiwa Reysol, then playing in the second tier J2 in August 2018.

He scored 27 goals that season as Kashiwa Reysol won promotion back to the top flight after finishing as J2 champions. That scoring spell included eight goals in one match in November 2019, when Kashiwa beat Kyoto Sang 13-1.

There was no stopping Michael Olunga even in the top flight as in the 2019-20 season, he finished as top scorer in the Japanese J1 League with 28 goals, winning the Golden Boot and the J-League 2020 MVP. He became the first African player to win the J-league MVP award.

In January 2021, Michael Olunga made a big-money move from Kashiwa Reysol to Qatar Stars League giants Al-Duhail in a deal worth a reported €6 million.

In Doha, Michael Olunga became a legend, winning back-to-back golden boot awards in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons while scoring 20 or more goals in each of his first four seasons, including a career-high 36 in 2023.

Michael Olunga spent four-and-a-half seasons at Al-Duhail and left as the club’s all-time top scorer with 130 goals, leading the club to seven trophies, including league title in the 2022-23 season.

During his impressive 2023, the Harambee Stars captain outscored both eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and former African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen.

The Kenyan international bagged 35 for club and country that year to beat Osimhen, who managed 34 for Napoli and Nigeria, while Messi had 28.

At international level, Michael Olunga remains Kenya’s first-choice striker and the Harambee Stars captain and there is every reason as to why his position is unchallenged.

This is because Michael Olunga has 34 goals in 67 games, level with Dennis Oliech, and just one behind William Ouma, on the Kenya all-time top scorer’s list. It is just a matter of time before he takes the lead.

Since leaving Al Duhail in May 2025, Michael Olunga now plays for another Qatari side Al-Arabi, who signed him as a free agent on a two-year deal.

Michael Olunga is among the richest Kenyan footballers with a Pulse Sports report in February 2025 placing his net worth at $4 million.

His wealth is drawn from his career earnings and investments, which include real estate, as well as endorsement deals.