November 01 (THE WILL) – Nigerian striker, Gift Orban, has received his first-ever nomination for the CAF Young Player of the Year award. The 21-year-old was named in the 10-man shortlist for the prestigious honour on Wednesday.
Orban earned the nomination, thanks to his phenomenal goalscoring run since joining Belgian side Gent in January. The young Nigerian has netted 27 goals in just 38 appearances for Gent, helping propel them up the league table.
His performances attracted the attention of several top European clubs over the summer. Orban also etched his name into the UEFA record books by scoring the fastest-ever hat-trick in a European match against Istanbul Basaksehir earlier this year.
Orban is joined on the shortlist by an array of talents from across the continent. Fellow nominees include Burkina Faso’s Souleymane Alio, Ghanaian Ernest Nuamah and Moroccan Bilal El Khannouss.
The Senegalese contingent is represented by Metz duo, Lamine Camara and Papa Amadou Diallo, Pape Diop of Zulte Waregem and Amara Diouf from Generation Foot.
While Orban’s goalscoring exploits have tailed off in recent months, his nomination shows the impression he has made in 2023. The winner will be announced at the CAF Awards ceremony later this year.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
