GIFT ORBAN'S BOOTS ARE FIRING AGAIN!

 Gent AA FC Nigerian striker, Gift Orban’s boots are back to scoring goals again! He scored a hat-trick to give his team a hard-earned victory during last week's UEFA Conference League group match against Breidablik Kopavogur FC of Iceland.  Gift Orban scored 20 goals in 22 matches last season and created the record for the fastest hat-trick in a UEFA competition. Clubs across Europe went on full alert to get him, but he remained with Gent FC only for events to turn the other way!

The writer had earlier highlighted the hurdles he'd encounter leading to the January transfer window and like a seer, these have come to pass! His ability to continue to score goals for his team and remain fit would determine his future. The lure of joining the bigger leagues of England, Spain, and Germany remains the dream for strikers with the fortune and football prowess that Gift Orban has shown.

 

GIFT ORBAN SILENCES SKEPTICS

Young Gift Orban, who had scored just 2 goals in seven matches, was given a red card in their match against Eupen FC in the Belgian Juliper League and thereafter benched by his coach. Rather than allow a little patience with him, tongues began to wag within Belgium and some questioned his football qualities and attitudes.  ExGent AA FC goalkeeper, Wim De Connick accused him of being selfish and thinkingonly about himself.  Thanks to providence, he got his opportunity last week when his coach gave him some minutes to enable his newfound replacement to get some rest. Orban took his chance with a hat-trick.

 

 

GIFT ORBAN’s GOOD RUN MUST CONTINUE

For a man who came from nowhere to take Belgium by storm, something must have caused his goal drought. It could be an internal issue within his team, looking at the swiftness his coach took to bench him! More renowned strikers sometimes go through such situations and maintaining trust in them helps rebuild their confidence in front of goal.

Now that he's again shown his worth, we expect he continues to get more match time to allow him to continue his good form from where it stopped. His worth has increased and was even nominated for the Confederation of African Football Best Young Player of the Year Award. With the array of Nigerian strikers on good form, we wait to see the possibilities of his being selected for the January 2024 CAF African Nations Cup, and his good performance here, could yet enhance his value and attract more revenues for his club.

The good fortune for Orban and his club is that they have a win-win situation before them and vice versa. When a bigger club comes for him with the right fee, it would give more money to them, otherwise, allowing him to languish in mediocrity would be their loss.

As events unfold we can only wait to see what the January transfer window holds for him and how well he'd maintain good form to convince more suitors to come for his signature.

The hurdle before Gift Orban, UEFA Fastest Hat-trick Record holder

 The August 2023 transfer window had Gift Orban, the Nigerian striker, with Gent FC, Belgium, as probably the most sought after ‘’unknown striker’’ by virtually every big club in Europe. The buzz remained until the new season began, yet nothing happened! They saw his speed, strength and finishing, yet they deterred, for some obvious reasons which could favor Orban on the long run! On the 15th March 2023, Gift Orban scored a first-half hat-trick in his club’s 4–1 away win over Istanbul Başakşehir in the round 16 of the European Conference League. The hat-trick was scored within three minutes and 25 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest hat-trick in UEFA club competitions, and broke the previous record of six minutes and 12 seconds held by Mohammed Salah in the UEFA Champions League. This feat set European clubs on the lookout for him!

 

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Gift Orban: From Lagos to Norway

He came into Europe through the back door, like many other players from Africa, who had not built a strong profile for themselves before being discovered. He was scouted, November 2021, in Lagos-Nigeria, during a local competition by two Norwegian officials from Stabaek FC of Norway, Torgier Biarman and Thomas Finstag. Within the same season he started with Stabaek FC, he won the Norwegian First Division top scorer and Norwegian First Division Young Player of the Year, 2022 awards. It was no mean feat for such a raw talent! His exploits in Norway attracted Gent FC, of Belgium, and by January 2023, Gift Orban, was on his way to Belgium. On his move to Belgium, he enthused;

  "I was delighted because i had known KAA Gent for quite some time through Instagram. Although it’s not the absolute top yet, it is a glorious Belgian club with a good reputation in major competitions. Indeed, i can gain a lot of experience here" 

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The new environment did not stop his goal rain; rather it increased to further send several tongues wagging! According to football analyst, Joe Lennox, Gift Orban once broached the thought of joining the Nigerian Police, due to the crawling pace of his football, but now things quickly changed. Last season, he scored 20 goals + and led his club to another European qualification. As the January 2024 transfer season beckons, it’s likely that Gift Orban would again attract the same attention like the he did in August. The club scouts have watched and analyzed his attributes. 

The Hurdle Before Gift Orban

What he needs this season is to be able to match or better his last season’s performance. With this, potential suitors would become extremely convinced about his qualities and capabilities to adapt at a better level than he’s done in the smaller leagues in Norway and Belgium. He would surely cost higher now, and remains an attractive option to solve the goal scoring problem of any big club in the leagues of England, Germany and Spain. One does not expect Gent FC to stand on his way, once any concrete financial offer comes their way, since this would be good business for them. Like other Nigerian football players who’d taken this path, Gift Orban would certainly excel!