Michael Olunga of Kenya is pleased with Al Duhail's achievement in the 2022 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League because the team made history by making it to the semifinal round.
The reigning champions Al Hilal crushed Al Duhail 7-0 in the Champions League semifinals on Sunday at Al Thumama Stadium, handing them their worst loss ever.
Odion Ighalo of Nigeria scored two goals in each half, followed by a brace from Moussa Marega of Mali in the first half and a plan from Salem Al Dawsari.
On his social media platforms, Olunga remarked, "Tough one to take."
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"Wanted to make it to the final, but it wasn't meant to be. Still very happy about how far Al Duhail has gone and of the club's first-ever semifinal appearance.
The Qatar Stars League leaders will build on that performance and concentrate on their forthcoming home game against Al Arabi on March 2, according to Olunga, who finished the previous season as the top scorer in the Champions League with nine goals.
Al Duhail had a dismal record entering the match against Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia: one victory, three ties, and two losses. They had an uneasy appearance from the very beginning.
Ighalo, a former Watford and Manchester United striker, gave the Red Knights the lead in the second period and doubled it after ten minutes.
As Moussa Marega evaded the offside trap to add the third in the 13th, things only got worse for coach Hernan Crespo's team.
Muaiouf spilt Olunga's strong shot a few seconds later. After 27 minutes straight from a goal-kick, Marega scored the fourth goal.
In minute 33, Muaiouf made a good stop from Olunga's attempt. Still, Al Duhail only just managed to survive a counterattack when Salem Al Dawsari squandered a one-on-one opportunity with Salah Zakaria.
Around the 38-minute mark, Marega switched roles and assisted Al Dawsari with a well-executed backheel. In the 40th minute, VAR disallowed former Porto striker Marega's third goal for offside.
Three minutes into the second half, Ighalo scored his hat-trick after Al Hilal took advantage of a misdirected pass outside the penalty area.
Ighalo scored his fourth goal after 62 minutes. In the 67th minute, Olunga went off. Olunga had two goals in the 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Al-Shabab, another Saudi Arabian team.
Their prior worst defeat came in 2014 when they were defeated 5-0 by UAE team Al Ain.
The 2022 AFC Champions League championship game will consist of two legs. On April 29 and May 6, it will match the winners of the West area, Al Hilal, against the winners of the East region, Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan.
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