Olunga Derby Magic Turns Him Into A Modern Kenyan Football Legend

NAIROBI, Kenya- When Kenya’s Egypt 2019 CAF Africa Cup of Nations campaign was heading for disaster, it took a man fittingly nicknamed the ‘Engineer’ to fix the fortunes of a nation starved of football success.

On Thursday night, the stakes were high when Harambee Stars played East African rivals Taifa Stars of Tanzania in a Group C encounter where the loser would place one foot in the elimination door of the biannual continental showpiece.

At 45 minutes, it was the blue, yellow and black of Tanzania who had the upper hand with the scores 1-2 but at the end of the 90, it was the turn of the green, red and black to go bananas after securing only a second AFCON victory on their sixth showing at the competition.

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At the heart of the five-goal chaotic thriller was Michael Olunga Ogada, the hero of the day with a brace either side of the halves, the second a match settling strike that completed a turnaround never before witnessed in Kenyan football history.

With his double, Olunga also became Kenya’s all time leading scorer at the AFCON in 90 minutes surpassing the achievements of Jonathan Niva, Daniel Arudhi, Peter Ouma (1972), Micky Weche (1992), Emmanuel Ake, Dennis Oliech and John Baraza (2004). That is quite an illustrious list to outshine on your debut tournament!

Kenya goalkeeper, Patrick Matasi, produced two horror blunders that gifted Tanzania their two goals, the first coming only six minutes into the derby when he punched a captain Mbwana Samatta’s effort to the path of Happygod Msuva who swept in the opener.

After a spirited display from head coach Sebastien Migne’s side, Olunga produced a moment of sheer magic, thumping in an equaliser with an overhead kick from close range when a loose ball from a corner travelled back into the box on 39.

It sparked delirium amongst the Kenyan supporters at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo and back at home, a few bottles broke, the still of night was disrupted and a country was thrown into mass hysteria.

Growing catalogue

The joy lasted barely a minute when Matasi added to his growing catalogue of errors leading into goals when he made the needless decision to rush out to claim the ball before it could be cut back.

Amid confusion in the Harambee box, the goalkeeper missed and the gifted Samatta pounced in a flash to send the ball into the net through his legs to complete Matasi's humiliation. Tanzania’s second was timed at 40.

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At half time, the knives were already out for Frenchman Migne, the team and Matasi in particular as hash tags #KENTAN, #KenyavsTanzania, #HarambeeStars and #TaifaStars trended worldwide on Twitter.

The entire planet in this age of global connectivity on micro-blogging sites knew there was an East African derby in Egypt.  

As Kenyans poured online vitriol, the audacity and sheer majesty of Olunga’s strike, one of the best witnessed at AFCON 2019 thus far, was almost forgotten in the maelstrom of condemnation for the school boy defensive errors that put Kenya’s hopes of progressing past the group stage at a cliff edge.

“Some guys haven't even tweeted & Tanzania regain the lead. Sigh! #KENTAN #KenyaVsTanzania,” respected Kenyan television journalist, Waihiga Mwaura posted, capturing the collective mood of a seething nation.

But Olunga, who led Gor to win the SPL title unbeaten in 2015, was not to be denied when he produced the winner with 10 to go with a finish that can only be conjured up by a goal-poacher per excellence.

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With chances begging and time running out, the Japan-based Kashima Reysol FC forward received the ball with his back to goal at the edge of the box, turned on a six pence and squeezed a first time shot past the impressive Taifa custodian, Aishi Manula at his near post, giving him no time to react.

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The ball bobbled into the back of the net by shaving off the base of the post as it went in to cue manic scenes across Kenya and despair in Tanzania when the final whistle to a breathless but mistake-filled derby went.

To understand why it meant so much, the two neighbours established their football rivalry in 1926 with the Gossage Cup (now Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup) and since then it has extended into popular culture, politics, music and every other sphere of society.

To stoke the flames, Kenya and Tanzania were involved in a diplomatic spat over xenophobic claims by pop artiste turned Nairobi's Starehe Constituency Member of Parliament, Charles 'Jaguar' Kanyi on the eve of the game.

The legislator has since been placed into custody but his comments came at a time when the neighbours had drawn out the daggers ahead of their first ever meeting at the AFCON.

Both countries threw broadsides at each other and to their diehard supporters, crashing out of the competition as long as they left with the regional bragging rights was an acceptable measure of a successful Egypt 2019 outing.

After being woefully starved of service in last Sunday’s 0-2 loss to Algeria, Olunga choose the grand stage to show the world a rendition of his talent and no matter what happens in Egypt, he has already cemented his place in Kenyan football folklore.

That is why a grateful and proud nation celebrated their hero, with his team now needing at least a draw against Senegal to have a great chance of progressing as one of the four best third placed teams.

Another dream victory over the wounded Lions of Teranga who were eclipsed 0-1 by Algeria in the other Group C clash of the day would surely surpass the derby heroics for Harambee.

So, Friday was all about honouring Olunga, the striker whose talent was first discovered at Liberty Academy and went on to play in the SPL for Tusker FC, Thika United FC and Gor (both on loan) before he left for Europe.

“It was tough to decide but here's the goal of the day! Michael Olunga's in  #KENTAN won it all!” the official CAF Twitter handle proclaimed with a clip of his overhead genius.

“Congratulations #HarambeeStars for the hard-fought victory against our good neighbours Tanzania and well done Michael Olunga for winning man of the match in this encounter. 

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“Let's now focus on our next match against Senegal. #KenyaVsTanzania. #AFCON2019,” Nairobi County Governor, Mike Sonko chipped in.

It was particularly a sweet moment for the leader after his Dar-es-Salaam equivalent, Paul Makonda, chided Harambee on Tuesday in a video that went viral.

“I spoke to the Captain (Mbwana) Samatta this morning (Tuesday) and I told them to show our President that we are together with him and even though we lost to Senegal, we will rise with our brothers Kenya.

"Lazima watakiona (they must face the music),” Makonda, the Regional Commissioner of Dar told his Head of State, Dr. John Magufuli at a gathering.

Already, some online proclaimed Olunga as the Greatest of All Time with one of his former clubs, La Liga outfit Girona FC where he became the first Kenyan to score a hat-trick in the Spanish top flight even tweeting his praise. 

Kenya's forward Michael Olunga in action during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football match between Kenya and Tanzania at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on June 27, 2019. PHOTO/AFP