When you’ve got a Gift – you have to use it! Gent will host West Ham United in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg with all eyes on their 20-year-old goalscoring sensation Gift Emmanuel Orban. The Nigerian kid was playing second-tier football in Norway last year, but now he’s mixing it up with the big boys for one of the biggest clubs in Belgium.So how did the meteoric rise come? Gent’s scouts spotted the strong youngster and took a gamble by paying $3.6 million to Stabaek. But it’s already clear that the deal was a bargain!Nigerian & Gent striker, Gift Orban wins player & goal of the month for March in Belgium. Note that he won both awards in February as well. That’s twice in a row. 🔥🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/LSaG6qAHTb— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) April 10, 2023 Growing up in Togo, his mother’s country, and Nigeria, Orban’s gift was first spotted at a youth tournament in Naija, coordinated by the established agent Emefie Atta Aneke. With scouts from eight European clubs watching, Orban was withdrawn after two after he turned out to be too dominant. Nobody could touch him as he scored three goals in one of those games. Aneke arranged a temporary move to Stabaek in Norway in early 2022, where the boy impressed but had to return to Nigeria because of visa delays. However, in May, he returned to join Stabaek and wasted no time showing his talent. He bagged 16 league goals in 22 appearances, attracted the scouts and joined Gent in late January 2023 and surprised everyone with how quickly he adjusted to the game at a higher level.##NAJAVA_MECA_7171552##He scored two goals on his debut, the 3-3 draw with Westerlo – but that was only the beginning. Last month, he scored four goals in a 6-2 victory at Zulte Waregem, which made him the first Gent player to do so in this century. And he made his impact in the continental competition as well, netting a four-minute hat-trick against Istanbul Basaksehin in the last round of the UECL.Tonight, our own Joseph Okumu will try to stop West Ham from finding the net while Orban pushes to make his presence felt against an even higher class of opponents. West Ham may be struggling to secure survival in the Premier League. Still, the quality of Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, Vladimir Coufal and Emerson make a formidable back four for any striker to battle against.Okumu readies up for crunch Europa tie against West HamOne of the most experienced Gent players, Tarik Tissoudali, told De Morgen that Orban had amazed everyone after netting 14 goals in only ten appearances for the club but that he has to stay grounded. In the Belgian public, the young Nigerian is criticised for posing with gold watches and jewellery – but Tissoudai says the team will keep Orban in check.”He now needs to confirm against West Ham and in the playoffs. I am really curious if he can do that. In the team, he does not behave like the star. He’s not Maradona either, is he? Orban doesn’t dribble everyone. He gets a supply from his teammates. We can’t forget that. If he behaves too much like a star, the experienced players will keep him calm.”Gift that keeps on giving – Okumu’s teammate scores the fastest-ever hattrick in European competitions!Orban has rocketed through all ceilings presented to him so far. He doesn’t seem likely of finding one that would keep him anytime soon.UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUEQuarter-final, first legThursday19:45: (3.50) Gent (3.50) West Ham (2.20)22:00: (4.10) Lech Poznan (3.50) Fiorentina (1.92)22:00: (2.85) Anderlecht (3.40) AZ Alkmaar (2.60)22:00: (3.70) Basel (3.50) Nice (2.15)***odds are subject to change***
