Nigeria international Gift Orban has joined Serie A club Hellas Verona on loan from Hoffenheim.
Hellas Verona, who won their only Serie A title in the 1984/1985 season, made thr Announce on Wednesday.
“Hellas Verona FC announces the acquisition of striker Gift Orban from TSG Hoffenheim on loan with an option to buy.
“Born in Benue , Nigeria, on 17 July 2002 , Orban is a striker who grew up playing for Bison FC , a club in his home country. In 2022, he moved to Stabæk , a club that plays in the Norwegian second division, and made his league debut on 26 May of the same year.
“In his first season, he scored 16 goals and provided 7 assists , which contributed to Stabæk ‘s promotion to the Superligaen . He also won the OBOS-ligaen top scorer title and was named best young player of the season.
“In January 2023, he was signed by Gent , with whom he made his Pro League debut on 11 February , scoring a brace in a 3-3 draw against Westerlo. Shortly afterwards, he scored his first goal in a European competition, in the second leg of the Conference League play-offs against Qarabag.
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“In the same season, he broke two records: with seven goals in five games, he became the debutant with the highest number of goals in the Pro League, and also scored the fastest hat-trick in the history of UEFA competitions, scoring three goals in under four minutes against Istanbul Başakşehir. He finished the season in the white-blue jersey with 20 goals and 2 assists in 22 games.
“In 2024 he moved to Olympique Lyon, with whom he scored a total of 5 goals between Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France.
“In the second half of last season he played at Hoffenheim , where he scored 4 goals in 13 appearances.
“Hellas Verona FC extends a warm welcome to Gift , wishing him a future full of personal and professional satisfaction in the Gialloblù shirt.”
By James Agberebi
