Gift Orban nominated for CAF Young Player of the Year award

Gift Orban nominated for CAF Young Player of the Year award
Credit: Icon Sport

Super Eagles striker Gift Orban has been nominated for the 2023 CAF Young Player of the Year award.

Orban burst onto the scene in the 21/22 season at Stabaek, netting 16 times in 22 league matches.

This earned him the Golden Boot and Young Player of the Year awards in Norway and subsequently, a summer switch to Genk.

Orban continued to deliver the goods following his move to Belgium as he scored 20 times in 22 matches across all competitions in his debut season.

Off the back of the recently-concluded transfer window where he was linked with a move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, the 21-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down this term with six goals to his name already, including four in Europe.

Orban's goalscoring heroics have now earned a nomination for the CAF Young Player of the Year award and he will be looking to become the first Nigerian to take home the accolade since Alex Iwobi.

Gift Orban is one of three Nigerians vying for CAF honours with Victor Osimhen in contention for the Men's Player of the Year award, while Asisat Oshoala goes in search of yet another Women's Player of the Year award.

Gift Orban faced with high competition for CAF Young Player award

While Orban is surely one of the major candidates to win the CAF Young Player award, the striker will have to fend off a healthy amount of competition.

Senegalese quartet Lamine Camara, Papa Amadou Diallo, Pape Diop and Amara Diouf are all in contention thanks to their exploits for the Lions of Teranga en route to winning the African Nations Championship earlier this year.

Burkina Faso duo Dango Ouattara and Souleymane Alio have both been nominated, with Morocco contingent Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Bilal El Khannous also making the cut.

Twenty-year-old Ghanaian Ernest Nuamah rounds off the list of contenders after recently becoming the most expensive Olympique Lyon signing.

The winner of the CAF Young Player of the Year prize will be unveiled at the award ceremony in Marrakesh on December 11.

This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago

Avid football fan who enjoys writing about the beautiful game. Firm believer of the notion that attack is the best form of defence.