Gift Orban

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Gift Orban
Personal information
Full name Gift Emmanuel Orban
Date of birth (2002-07-17) 17 July 2002 (age 23)
Place of birth Benue State, Nigeria
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position Striker
Team information
Current team
 Hellas Verona
(on loan from TSG Hoffenheim)
Number 16
Youth career
–2021 Bison
2021–2022 Stabæk
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2023 Stabæk 22 (16)
2023–2024 Gent 33 (18)
2024–2025 Lyon 16 (3)
2025– TSG Hoffenheim 13 (4)
2025– → Hellas Verona (loan) 12 (4)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:04, 14 December 2025 (UTC)

Gift Emmanuel Orban (born 17 July 2002) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Hellas Verona on loan from German club TSG Hoffenheim.

Career

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Stabæk

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In November 2021, Orban was scouted by Stabæk's Torgeir Bjarmann and Thomas Finstad in Nigeria during a showcase tournament.[1] He trained with Stabæk during the winter of the 2021–22 season, before returning after his visa expired.[2] Returning to Norway, he signed for Stabæk in late May 2022. The transfer from Nigerian club Bison was a loan with an option to buy.[3][4]

Orban scored his first goals in cup matches against semi-professional teams Notodden and Gjøvik-Lyn (twice).[5] After this, he became a starting player for Stabæk. His goal against SK Brann was compared to Alanzinho's time at Stabæk.[6] VG also called him a "striker jewel".[7]

When Stabæk sold Oliver Valaker Edvardsen in July, the club announced they would spend the money on Orban's buyout option.[8] The contract tying Orban to Stabæk until the end of 2026 was announced on 3 August.[9] He became the top scorer in the 2022 Norwegian First Division with 16 goals, alongside Bård Finne.[10] Helping Stabæk win promotion to 2023 Eliteserien, Orban was also named Young Player of the Year in the First Division.[11][12]

Gent

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On 31 January 2023, Orban joined Belgian Pro League side Gent on a permanent deal.[13] On 11 February, Orban scored two goals on his Pro League debut in a 3–3 draw with Westerlo.[14] On 12 March, Orban managed to score four goals in a 6–2 away win over Zulte Waregem, which made him the first Gent player to do so in the 21st century. All the goals came in the second-half.[15][16] In his very next game on 15 March, he scored a first-half hat-trick in 4–1 away win over İstanbul Başakşehir in the UEFA Europa Conference League round 16. The hat-trick was scored within three minutes and 25 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest hat-trick in UEFA club competitions, breaking the previous record of six minutes and 12 seconds held by Mohamed Salah in the Champions League.[17] In the 2023–24 Europa Conference League campaign of KAA Gent, Orban scored another European hat-trick, this time against Pogoń Szczecin in the first leg of the third qualification round, resulting in a 5–0 win for Gent.[18]

Lyon

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On 18 January 2024, Orban signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Ligue 1 side Lyon, for a transfer fee of €12 million, which could rise to €20 million with add-ons, and a 20% sell-on clause.[19][20] Orban had a slow start in his first season at Lyon, scoring only one league goal in 13 appearances. He did score twice in the Coupe de France in three games as Lyon made the 2024 Coupe de France final – however, Orban was unused substitute in the final. At the end of the season, Orban admitted that it had been "difficult to settle in".[21]

On his first appearance in the 2024–25 season, Orban came off the bench with his side 3–2 down against Strasbourg and scored twice in nine minutes to win the game for Lyon.[22]

TSG Hoffenheim

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On 2 January 2025, Orban was signed by German Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim for €9 million with up to €3 million in potential bonuses, of which €1 million is guaranteed. The deal also included a 7.5% sell-on clause for Lyon.[23] On 26 January, Orban scored his first goal for the club after coming on as a substitute in the 63rd-minute against Eintracht Frankfurt. Orban scored in just two minutes, putting Hoffenheim ahead, but Frankfurt equalized and the game ended 2–2.[24]

Loan to Hellas Verona

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On 27 August 2025, Orban moved on loan to Hellas Verona in Italy, with an option to buy.[25] A month later, on 20 September, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw with Juventus.[26]

On 14 December 2025, Hellas Verona played an important Serie A relegation zone match against Fiorentina at the latter's turf. The match ended 1 - 2 (Hellas won). Orban scored both Hellas' goals, the second one being scored in the 93rd minute of the match. [27]

Personal life

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Born in Benue State, Nigeria,[28] Orban's mother is from Togo.[29]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 14 December 2025[30]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Stabæk 2022 Norwegian First Division 22 16 2 3 — 24 19
Gent 2022–23 Belgian Pro League 16 15 — 6[b] 5 22 20
2023–24 Belgian Pro League 17 3 3 0 10[b] 9 30 12
Total 33 18 3 0 16 14 52 32
Lyon 2023–24 Ligue 1 13 1 3 2 — 16 3
2024–25 Ligue 1 3 2 0 0 2[c] 0 5 2
Total 16 3 3 4 1 0 21 5
TSG Hoffenheim 2024–25 Bundesliga 13 4 — 0 0 13 4
Hellas Verona 2025–26 Serie A 12 4 1 0 — 13 4
Career total 96 45 9 5 18 14 123 64
  1. ^ Includes Norwegian Cup, Belgian Cup, Coupe de France
  2. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

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Lyon

Individual

References

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