Super Eagles prospect Gift Orban looks ready for the new season with his club, KAA Gent, as videos from pre-season show him scoring goals like he never left the pitch.
The 20-year-old striker is generating some interest, according to a number of transfer news sources, but in the meantime, he is currently working on hitting the ground running in his first full season with the Belgian Jupiler Pro League side.
Fans of the Nigeria national team are excited and also believe that the Togo-born striker can make a case for himself this season as the AFCON 2023 finals approaches.
Gift Orban's 🇳🇬(2002) 5 UECL goals last season
🎁⚽pic.twitter.com/dOOsRH7hFf— Football Report (@FootballReprt) July 4, 2023
Watch: Orban shows amazing free-kick prowess
Gent wrapped up a pre-season tour in Zeeland, a province in the Netherlands, on Saturday. In that tour, they faced Zeeuws Elftal, a lower division side in the Netherlands, and NK Lokomotiva Zagreb from Croatia.
Orban, who was the talk of the Nigeria football news media when he was left out of coach José Peseiro's squad that faced Sierra Leone on 18 June in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, was a key part of their training and the tour.
He was recently captured in high spirits despite the disappointment of not making the AFCON qualifiers 2023 squad.
Against Zeeuws Elftal, Orban came off the bench to score a superb brace as his side defeated their opponents 6 – 1 in the pre-season warm-up game.
The first of his goals was a deft freekick which went in via the crossbar. The second was a beautiful goal scored after he beat his marker to find space and chip the goalkeeper while he looked on.
See the goals below.
2 pareltjes van Gift en Fofana met de slotgoal tegen het Zeeuws Elftal! 😍#zeegnt pic.twitter.com/fVWbU9601K
— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) July 7, 2023
Those were his second and third goals for Gent in pre-season after he scored once in their 9 – 1 defeat of Merelbeke, an amateur side on 2 July.
Orban started the game against Zagreb – the second of the Zeeland tour – but did not get on the scoresheet before he was taken off.
Gent will head back to Belgium to continue their pre-season preparations and Orban will be hoping to convince the Super Eagles handlers ahead of the next international break in September.
Clubs interested in Gift Orban
Over the past month, clubs in Germany and France have been mentioned in the same breath as Gift Orban.
LOSC Lille, the club where Victor Osimhen shot to limelight, were reported to be interested in him. Eintracht Frankfurt, the club where Super Eagles legend Jay Jay Okocha made his name, were also reportedly interested in him.
The 20-year-old is reportedly torn between both clubs but was also recorded stating his preference for a Premier League move. While he favours a move to the big clubs, only links to Burnley, Manchester United and West Ham United have been reported.
Holland ?? pic.twitter.com/9d3zn2Hv7u
— Gift Orban (@GiftOrban_) July 7, 2023
He is currently enjoying himself in pre-season but he may be lining up for another team outside Belgium in the coming weeks.
Whatever happens, Orban can be proud that, after less than a year, he is officially the most expensive player from the Jupiler Pro League according to official sources.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
