Nigerian sensation splitting Belgian defences

Nigerian sensation Gift Orban on Sunday scored the winner in KAA Gent’s 1-0 triumph over giants Anderlecht in the Belgium Jupiler Pro League inside the Ghelamco Arena to take his tally to three goals in four league matches.

The forward, who joined the Belgians from Norwegian club Stabaek in January, announced his arrival with two goals, including an iconic strike to help the Buffalos to a 3-3 draw at Westerlo in February.

The 20-year-old forward, who moved to Belgium on transfer deadline day for a reported fee of €3.5m, could not make his first appearance for Gent earlier due to hitches in sorting his documents, but was in the Buffalos’ starting line-up for the trip to Westerlo in February.

The winter signing has enjoyed an impressive start to life in Belgium, finding the back of the net four times in six appearances for the Buffalos in all competitions, since making his debut last month.

He has also won the Gantoise Player of The Month award, while one of his goals against Westerlo clinched Goal of The Month award in February.

Orban has spent little time with his teammates in training but wasted no time in making his mark and repaying his new club for their investment in him.

Gent manager Hein VanhaezebrouckHis has been pleased with the Nigerian’s brilliant performance after training just three times with his teammates and noted that the youngster was worth the fee the club paid to sign him

“He has only trained three times,” Vanhaezebrouck told HLN.

“Orban has qualities that we didn’t have in our team. We had him on the radar for some time, but due to financial circumstances, we had to wait a long time. And in the end, we also paid a lot of money for him. But if he continues like this, there will be no more cock crowing for those pennies.

“He has proven that he has the scoring ability and more than that duelling power and running ability. He likes the spaces very well and is ball-resistant. We can really use a player like Gift.

“But you can use him very well in the football that I want to bring. He fills the spaces very well. He can also play under pressure. That is also the reason why I recommended him.

“He came from the second division and was still somewhat unknown. It is now up to Gift to confirm and to show that in the next matches.”

Orban also had an exceptional 2022 season where he emerged top scorer in the Norwegian second division as he raked in 19 goals and contributed seven assists in 24 appearances across all competitions for the Norwegian outfit Stabæk.

His goals helped push Stabaek to the Eliteserien, the Norwegian top division league.

Looking at his impressive stats in the Norwegian league and his bright beginning in Belgium’s topflight league considering that this is his second season as a professional in Europe and could replicate the form of Nigeria international and former KRC Genk star Paul Onuachu, who dominated Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League, scoring 85 goals in 134 games for Genk and also won the league’s top scorer award, before making a switch to Premier League side Southampton in January’s deadline day transfer.

The Nigerian forward thanked his coach and teammates for their support and assured them of more sterling performances

“A successful debut? You can say that,” Orban admits. “Although we should have won.

“Look, the confidence I felt from the coach and my teammates really gave me a lot of enthusiasm for this match. I have to thank my teammates for the great assists.

“I always talk to the midfielders a lot. Tell them what my qualities are, and how I want the ball. I haven’t trained much yet, but we already found each other. I want to grow further at this big club.”

Orban’s performance in the match brings back the memory of Super Eagles star Simon Moses when he joined Gent from Trencin in 2015.

The Nigerian striker will hope to continue with his fine form when De Buffalo hosts Turkish outfit Istanbul Basaksehir in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday.