Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga reckons their Four Nations conquest in Malawi augurs well for the team’s future.
The gallant Kenyan lads put up a valiant fight to thump tournament hosts Malawi 4-0 in the semifinals before thrashing Zimbabwe 3-1 to clinch the silverware in a thrilling clash of the titans on Tuesday.
Olunga lavished praise on his teammates, noting that their relentless spirit hoisted them to Tuesday’s glory.
“Our confidence has increased two-fold thanks to this trophy, and the team is performing well right now. Our group is strong, with a solid mix of young and seasoned players, which has strengthened our bond as a unit,” Olunga said.
“We used the tournament as good preparation. We want to produce good results bearing in mind will be playing at home when the real games begin in June,” he added.
The towering Kenyan talisman, who plies trade for Qatar behemoths Al Duhail, reminisced about the tremendous exploits that saw him scoop the tournament’s Golden Boot gong after blasting the back of the net a record five times in two matches.
His remarkable feat included a hat-trick notched against Zimbabwe in the tantalising finals, which effectively pushed his international goal tally to 29 in 58 national team appearances.
“The tournament was a lovely experience and scoring the five goals made it even more exciting. I wouldn’t have achieved this without the input of my teammates,” Olunga stated.
The skipper extolled Kenya’s passionate fan base for rallying behind the Stars, adding that they would hammer away indefatigably to garnish their trophy cabinet with more titles. Stars will test their mettle further on the 2026 World Cup qualifiers which resume in June against Burundi and the Ivory Coast.
“I want to thank everyone for supporting the team through thick and thin. We urge them to keep the spirit going as we continue producing good results.”
Meanwhile, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa promised that the team would unpack more pleasant surprises in the coming months.
"While we are thrilled to have the trophy, we are not celebrating just yet because there is still much work to be done and more to come. This is just the beginning."
Mwendwa reckons that Kenya possesses the mojo to scale unprecedented heights with more support and adequate structure firmly in place.
"As we get ready for matches against Burundi and the Ivory Coast, we ask for more support."
