Gift Orban eyes another scoring record on Sunday, may miss Olympic Eagles/ Guinea clash 

By Olusola Adebayo  

Nigeria's newest scoring sensation, Gift Orban is set to break another Belgian League record if he scores against Eupen today, ( Sunday, March 19, 2023) as his availability for the Nigeria/ Guinea Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifier in Abuja is in doubt. www.234sportsng.com reports.

Gift Orban is due to help his club prosecute their Jupilier league game against Eupen on Sunday at 7:45 pm kick-off.

A club source confirms his availability for the match as the coach relies on him for goals in what he describes as the "Eupen Party". 

Orban is looking forward to breaking another record in the Belgian league this weekend four days after he scored the fastest-ever hat-trick in the UEFA Europa Conference League to Help KAA Gent thrash Istanbul Basaksehir 4-1.

He completed the rare feat within three minutes hitting the target in the  31st, 32nd, and 34 minutes respectively. 

The Nigerian forward who became the top scorer in the 2022 Norwegian First Division with 16 goals, alongside Bård Finne will become the first player to score 8 goals in their first six matches in Jupiler Liga's first division matches if he scored today against Eupen.

The new scoring sensation is expected to continue from where he left it last week in the Belgian top division when he scored four goals in a 6–2 away win over Zulte Waregem, to become the first player of Gent to do so in the 21st century. 

The club remains unbeaten since he made his debut against Waterloo on February 11 with a brace to underline his contributions to the club qualifying for the Quarter final of the UEFA Conference League in the process.

He has since gone on to score 10 more goals taking his total tally to 12 in 9 matches which include seven in five Jupiller Liga matches and five in four UEFA conference league matches. 

The UEFA Conference League player of the week, Gift Orban was invited by the Nigeria handler Salisu Yusuf to be part of his team after an explosive week of goals for the KAA Gent scoring sensation.

A move applauded by followers of the game as it allow them to see him play in front of the Nigeria audience but that may not come to fruition at least for now as the club is yet to release him to join the Nigeria Olympic Eagles' camp, four days to the encounter.

His availability for the Sunday match in Belgium means Orban won't join the Olympic Eagles camp until Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours before the match which might be too late for the coach to integrate him fully into his plans as he is joining the team for the first time, having missed the Tanzania encounters.

Coach Salisu Yusuf may have to look elsewhere for goals as the Nigeria U23 side faces Guinea in a doubleheader, the first leg will be played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium on Wednesday before moving to Conakry for the return leg.

The winner over the two legs will qualifier for the U23 AFCON in Morocco, which serves as a determiner for the team that will represent Africa at the Paris 2024 Olympic men's football.

Nigeria shocked the world in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics, to become Africa's first team to win the football beating Brazil in the Semi-Final and Argentina in the final to the Gold Medal.  

The 20-year-old joined Belgian Pro League side Gent on a permanent deal for less than 3 million pounds in the January transfer window and has set the league on fire with his goals.