Gift Orban – The Meteoric Rise Of Ligue 1’s Next Great Marksman by Shay Hicks
Player Bio:
Name – Gift Emmanuel Orban
Nationality – Nigerian/Togolese
D.O.B – 17.07.2002 (21)
Height – 178cm (5’10”)
Strong Foot – Right
Current Club – Olympique Lyonnais
Position – CF
Value – €15.00m (via Transfermarkt)
Career Summary:
Gift Orban has endured a rough patch of form in the first half of the 2023/24 season but he is still widely considered as an elite prospect. Most young players struggle with consistency at some point in the early stages of their careers and his second year in Belgium proved difficult to cope with following his phenomenal 2022/23 season. Despite this dip in form, Lyon chose to take a chance on Gift in what could become a great deal for the French club. In this report I will take a look at Orban’s humble beginnings, his rise to stardom and why he should be able to find his form as one of the best young talismen in world football again in the near future.
Gift was born in Benue State, Nigeria to a Nigerian father and a Togolese mother. Gift moved between Nigeria and Togo early in his career, struggling to make a name for himself before joining Nigerian side Bison FC for a scouting tournament in Akwa Ibom State. He was invited to join the tournament by Nigerian scout Ola Fowler who initially discovered him during his time in Togo. Orban didn’t take long to impress every scout in attendance including those of Norwegian side Stabæk. After some initial trials with the club Gift would eventually join on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee.
Gift initially joined Stabæk’s reserve side but it didn’t take long for him to force himself into the first team. His first recorded appearance in Europe came as a late sub against Bryne (Erling Haaland’s former club) in an Obos-Ligaen match in May 2022. His game time would be limited in the Norwegian 2nd division initially, although this would change quickly following three goals across two NM-Cup matches against Notodden and Gjøvik-Lyn. His first league start came shortly after the latter match, being named as the starting right winger against Mjøndalen. It wouldn’t take long for Orban to make an impact for Stabæk as he managed to provide two assists in a 4-2 win away from home. The following match he would be moved to CF, a very good decision considering the fact that this game would mark the start of an incredible run of form. Over the next month Gift played 6 games, scoring nine goals and providing an assist. He was then unable to score in his next four matches (although he would provide two assists in a 5-0 demolition of Start), before going on another great run with seven goals and two assists in the last eight games of the season. Gift’s goals helped his side to push up the table, eventually earning promotion back to the Eliteserien with a 2nd-placed finish.
Gift’s performances did not go unnoticed by scouts from other countries, with Belgian side Gent making a late move to sign the player at the end of the January transfer window for €3.30m. Whilst this move came in the middle of the season for Gent, the Obos-Ligaen is a summer league (played between April and November), meaning that Orban wouldn’t have the luxury of an extended winter break. However this clearly didn’t bother him as he was able to score a brace on his debut in a 3-3 draw with KVC Westerlo. He would make his European debut the following week, appearing in a 1-0 loss to Azerbaijani side Qarabag in the 1st leg of the intermediate stage. After appearing in one more Jupiler Pro League match he would score in the return fixture, also scoring in the penalty shootout to help his side qualify for a tie against Turkish side Istanbul Bașakșehir in the last 16.
Gift had had a great start to life in Belgium, however he would become a completely different player in March of 2023. Across both the Juliper Pro League and an ECL quarter-final, Orban scored a ridiculous nine goals in five matches (also adding an assist). Largely down to these prolific performances Gent managed to go unbeaten during this run. The two highlights of this month were a 4-goal haul in the second half of a league match vs Zulte Waregem, followed by a 205-second hat-trick to push his side past Bașakșehir in the ECL last 16. These games were played within three days of each other, meaning that Gift had scored seven goals in 72 hours.
Following his breakout month Gift would have one more man-of-the-match performance, scoring twice and assisting once in a 5-0 win over RFC Seraing on April 1st. He would fail to contribute to any goals in the last five games of the season as his side were knocked out of the ECL by West Ham en-route to a 5th-placed finish in the Juliper Pro League. This finish placed them in a 4-way playoff for a place in the following season’s ECL. Matched up against Standard Liège, Cercle Brugge and Westerlo, Gift scored six goals in six games to secure European football for his side.
It was clear to see that Gift had very rare talent and his impressive performance hadn’t gone unnoticed by Europe’s elite. This was reflected by reported interest from numerous clubs in the top 5 leagues, most notably from a Spurs side that were just about to sell Harry Kane to Bayern Munich. At this time his value on Transfermarkt peaked at €20.00m, with a potential fee rumoured to be around the same mark. Unfortunately, whilst his rise into stardom had been very impressive in the previous season, Orban’s performances stagnated in the first half of the 2023/24 season. He still managed to maintain his goalscoring ability in ECL qualification and the group stages, but so far he has managed just three goals in seventeen league appearances. Internationally his omittance from Nigeria’s provisional 40-man for the ongoing AFCON was questionable, although the Super Eagles’ front line is full of players from the top 5 leagues (as well as veteran striker Ahmed Musa).
Key Dates in Gift’s Career:
03/08/2022 – Permanently joins Stæbeck from Bison FC
26/05/2022 – Makes his senior debut for Stæbeck
22/06/2022 – Scores his first goal for Stæbeck
29/10/2022 – Wins the Golden Boot and Best Young Player awards in the Obos-Ligaen
31/01/2023 – Signs for Gent
02/11/2023 – Makes his debut and scores a brace for Gent
12-15/03/2023 – Scores his first senior hat-tricks vs Zulte Waregem and Istanbul Bașakșehir
17/01/2024 – Signs for Lyon
Key Moments:
For this report I focused on Gift’s performances in the Jupiler Pro League performances against Westerlo (27.05) and Kortrijk (30.07), as well as his performances in Europa Conference League Qualification against MŠK Žilina (27.07) and Pogoń Szczecin (09.08).
Many people may take a look at Gift’s goals and believe that his impact is inflated by errors and tap-ins. However, this goal shows the slight nuances and quick reactions that allow him to be so effective in these scenarios. As his teammate lines up a powerful longshot, Gift is on his toes and turning towards goal. In contrast his opposite man is flat-footed and unaware of any potential danger. The ball bounces out of the Goalkeeper’s arms, Gift latches onto the rebound and calmly slots home.
This moment highlights Gift’s improvisational skills, something that makes him a deadly poacher in the box. He runs onto a ball over the top of the defence but the ball bounces awkwardly, landing just behind him and bouncing over him. He smartly lofts a headed shot over the Goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
This goal is fairly straight-forward, but the accuracy and ability to execute is still impressive. Gift first identifies the space he can run into before calling for a pass ahead of him. He then carries the ball towards the box and is able to make a tiny amount of space for himself with a body feint. The pursuing defender is close enough to push Gift off-balance, but he is still able to get a shot at goal. The Goalkeeper is able to get a hand to the ball but is unable to save the shot as it rolls into the far corner of the goal.
Gift’s speed and quick reactions make him an extremely effective finisher on the counter. Following a Kortrijk corner the ball is quickly played forward, with Gift making a deep off-ball run towards the box. He collects the ball just outside the box with a defender charging back to challenge him. Unfortunately for the defender, Gift has more than enough time to get into shooting position, placing a low shot into the far corner of the goal.
This moment is another example of Gift reacting quicker than his opposite man in order to create a great chance for himself. His mind is always focused on how he can put himself into positions to score, even if he isn’t directly involved in the current on-pitch action. A cross is floated towards an attacker at the near post who is unable to aim his header towards goal, glancing the ball across the 6-yard box. Before his teammate has even headed the ball, Gift is peeling off the back shoulder of his much taller opposite man, as he elects to turn towards goal instead of getting into a physical battle with him. He forces an impressive save with his initial headed shot before converting into an empty net with his second attempt.
What’s Next?:
“It’s true, he’s very close to signing […] He is an attacker, a goalscorer who offers lots of possibilities. We needed this profile“
Lyon Head Coach Pierre Sage when asked about the imminent arrival of Orban (source – www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2024/we-needed-this-profile-pierre-sage-confirms-imminent-gift-orban-arrival/)
During the writing of this article, struggling French giants Lyon decided to take a gamble on Gift’s huge upside, reportedly paying a €13.00m fee to secure his signature (per Fabrizio Romano). It is very easy to be reactionary and immediately jump to conclusions over Orban’s recent performances but context is key and all young players deserve the chance to rebound after a dip in form. All young strikers will go through goal droughts, but not many can score hat-tricks in Europe and hit the ground running in an unfamiliar environment like he did in 2023. In my opinion, we will look back at this deal as an absolute bargain in the near future. It could be argued that Lyon should’ve targeted an older, more consistant forward considering their current form, but Alexandre Lacazette has proved that he can provide both experience and goals so far this season. Furthermore, the prospect of a Cherkhi-Orban-Nuamah frontline is far too promising to pass up on.
Lyon fans may be wondering what they can expect from Gift as a player. Personally I would not put too much pressure on him to become an immediate starting-quality player in the short-term. Whilst he has shown how ruthless he can be both in the box and on the counter, he still has some way to go in build-up play. Particularly the quality of his quick passes will need to improve if he is to become a mainstay in this squad. Gift has ok vision but his passes are often inaccurate or overhit towards the final third. In the long-term, if he can improve his passing and get used to Lyon’s brand of football, Orban will be a great successor to Lacazette once he is ready to move on or retire.
From an individual standpoint I see no reason to write off Gift as a ‘flash in the pan’ at this current time. His drop-off has been concerning but he is clearly still a talented player with plenty of time to discover his true potential. Playing behind a Centre Forward like Lacazette will do nothing but improve his game, both mentally and tactically. Having the opportunity to fight for gametime whilst he is being mentored by the Frenchman will help him to refine his craft and (hopefully) become a top Ligue 1 player if he is patient. It is unlikely that we will see him score at the rate he did at the start of last year but it isn’t crazy to say that Orban could become the spearhead of Lyon’s exciting young squad for years to come.