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Olunga ready to mix it with La Liga big boys

Michael Olunga in action for his new club Girona during their friendly match against CF Ripoll winning 8-0. Photo/Courtesy

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6- Sergio Ramos, Javier Mascherano, Diego Godin and former Arsenal center-back Gabriel Paulista are some of the world class defenders Harambee Stars forward Michael Olunga will be tussling with for the next one season as he begins life with new club Girona.

Olunga is expected to make his competitive debut for the Blanquivermell on Sunday when they travel away to San Mames to take on Athletic Bilbao in their third La Liga match of the season.

“It has been my dream to play in the La Liga and it had been my dream since I arrived in Europe that in three years time I would be rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in the world and here I have the opportunity. It is a great feeling to be honest,” Olunga said just after arriving at the club.

“I thank everyone who has supported me in my journey and in this new challenge, I will not disappoint,” Olunga, who joined the club on loan from Chinese Super League side Ghuizhou Zhicheng added.

Olunga made a dream start to life in the Catalonia-based club, coming off the bench to hit a brace as they whitewashed CF Ripoll 8-0 in a friendly match on Monday night and he now hopes he can replicate that same form in the league.

“It was a great opportunity to start life at the club and now I believe I have my work cut out. Scoring a brace just made it sweeter. The biggest challenge now is to replicate that form in the league and my dream is to become the first Kenyan to score in La Liga,” Olunga added.

Michael Olunga signed for La Liga top tier side Girona on loan from from Chinese Super League side Ghuizhou Zhicheng. PHOTO/courtesy

The former Gor Mahia, Tusker and Thika United striker becomes only the second Kenyan to play in Spain with MacDonald Mariga having spent a brief loan spell at Real Sociedad in the 2011/2012 season, playing 14 matches.

Olunga dreams of bettering that feat and making a mark with the club which unsuccessfully tried to sign him in 2015 before he left for China where he signed for Guizhou Zhicheng.

“It is my dream to make a huge mark here. This is a bigger platform with a bigger opportunity and I really pray I achieve it,” added the forward.

A proven goal scorer, Olunga has hit 14 goals in 27 appearances for the national team while he scored 13 in 28 games in all competition for his first club abroad, Djugardens IF in the Swedish top tier.

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He didn’t have a smoother time in China with Zhicheng where he only scored two goals in nine games and had to be loaned out after the club exceeded their quota of foreign players and he had to be the sacrificial lamb.

Girona announced during the player’s unveiling over the weekend they badly wanted to sign him from Djugardens before he left for China since he perfectly fitted the description of the striker they are looking for.

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