La Liga hat-trick and top moments of Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga
By Luke Oluoch, March 27, 2026Harambee Stars talisman Michael Olunga is no doubt one of the lethal goal poachers in the history of the Kenyan national team.
The striker who came through the ranks at Gor Mahia to light up the paid ranks of Sweden, Japan, Spain, and now Qatar has fittingly been the talk of Kenyan football for some years now.
K24 Digital picks out the standout moments of the towering striker who celebrated his 32nd birthday on Thursday, March 26.
The spectacular overhead kick vs. Tanzania (AFCON 2019)
One of his most iconic goals for the Harambee Stars came in the AFCON 2019 as Kenya marked a 15-year return to the continental games under French coach Sebastian Migne
In a high-stakes group stage match in Cairo, Kenya was trailing 2-1 from a Simon Msuva opener when Olunga popped up with a bolt out of the blue to spare the nation of blushes amid an ongoing jirani rivalry.
He equalised in the 39th minute with a stunning overhead bicycle kick after Kenya had trailed from Simon Msuva’s opener. The goal showcased his incredible poaching instincts and technical range on the continent’s biggest stage.
The match-winner vs. Tanzania (AFCON 2019)
In the same East African Derby, Olunga completed a historic comeback by scoring the winning goal in the 80th minute.
The strike—a low drive that squirmed past Aishi Manula’s near post—secured Kenya’s second-ever win in AFCON history.
On January 13, 2018, Olunga made global headlines by becoming the first Kenyan to score in La Liga and the first Girona player to net a hat-trick in the Spanish top flight. Remarkably, he achieved this as a second-half substitute. The feat was sealed in a surreal 22 minutes.
4. Sending Kenya to AFCON in 2018
During a crucial 2019 AFCON qualifier at a packed Kasarani Stadium, Olunga opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a trademark curling left-foot shot from the edge of the box. This goal set the tone for a 3-0 victory that effectively ended Kenya’s 15-year wait to return to the Africa Cup of Nations.
5. Perfect birthday hat-trick vs. Zimbabwe
Another standout moment came in the final of the Four Nations Tournament in Malawi in 2024. Olunga celebrated his 30th birthday by scoring a perfect (head, left foot, and right foot) hat-trick to lead Kenya to a 3-1 victory and the tournament trophy, further cementing his status as one of Kenya’s all-time greats.
His opener came in a glanced header in the 45th minute. He added the second after bundling home from keeper spills from a fine cross from defender Rooney Onyango.
He sealed the treble with a long-range left-foot shot, drawing unbridled celebrations from his teammates and Kenyan technical bench members for his heroics.