Harambee Stars strikers in fine form abroad

What you need to know:

  • Olunga is in fine form this season having scored 14 goals in 19 matches as the team chases promotion back to the Chinese top-flight league

  • Elsewhere in Zambia, Jesse Were scored the all-important goal as Zesco United edged Green Mamba from Eswatini by a solitary goal

Kenyan international Michael Olunga scored a brace as Kashiwa Reysol beat relegation-threatened Gifu 4-0 at the Nagaragawa Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Brazilian forward Cristiano da Silva opened the scoring in the seventh minute before defender Jiro Kamata doubled the lead in the 28th with a powerful header. Olunga then completed the job scoring in the 34th and 59th minutes.

Olunga is in fine form this season having scored 14 goals in 19 matches as the team chases promotion back to the Chinese top-flight league, the Super League. With only five games left to the end of the season, they are at the helm with 61 points from 29 matches.

Elsewhere in Zambia, Jesse Were scored the all-important goal as Zesco United edged Green Mamba from Eswatini by a solitary goal in a Caf Champions League preliminary round return leg at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Saturday. Were was recently called up to the national team by newly appointed coach Francis Kimanzi.

David Owino played the entire match while Anthony Akumu was not part of the match day squad as he is still nursing a groin injury that has kept him out of action for four weeks now. Ugandan forward Umaru Kasumba, who recently joined Zesco from Kenyan side Sofapaka, also featured in the match.

The Zambian champions had won the first leg encounter 2-0. They will now face Yanga SC in the first round of the Champions League. The Tanzanian giants saw off Township Rollers 2-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round.