Last updated on May 23, 2024
Gift Emmanuel Orban, popularly known as Gift Orban, is a Nigerian professional footballer who has gained recognition as one of the young players in the world. Gift Orban plays as a striker and is admired for his speed, strength, and proficiency is finishing inside the box. with an impressive physical stature, he has established himself as a formidable presence on the field.
Gift Orban was born on July 17, 2002 in Benue State, Nigeria. He began his life journey immersed in both Nigerian and Togolese cultures. Additionally, he is fluent in French.
Early Life and Family Background
Gift Orbans is a very private person he never shares any information about his family however according to research, he has a Nigerian father and a Togolese mother, and he is the only child. He comes from a middle-class background. Gift Orban’s family was financially stable, his father owned a house in Nigeria, while his mother owned a house in Togo. He grew up in both Togo as well as in Nigeria. Spending his early childhood in his hometown in Nigeria, he later moved to Togo, his mother’s home country, where he spent most of his teenage years. As an only child, he formed strong bonds with other children in his community and displayed a passion for soccer from a young age. Gift Orban and his friends shared a common dream of becoming professional footballers, and they worked together to achieve this goal.
Stabæk
In November 2021, he was selected by Stabæk in Nigeria during a showcase tournament. He started training during the winter of 2021/2022 before returning Nigeria after his visa expired. Returning to Norway, he signed for Stabæk in late May 2022. The transfer from the Nigerian club Bison was a loan with an option to buy. He scored his first goal for Stabæk during the cup matches against semi-professional teams Notodden and Gjøvik-Lyn. His impressive performances earned him a spot in the starting lineup. His unexpected goal against SK Brann was compared with Alanzinho’s. VG also called him a “striker jewel”.
When Stabæk sold Oliver Valaker Edvardsen in July 2022, the club announced that they would spend the money on Orban’s buyout option. On 3rd August 2022, Stabæk announced that they had signed a contract with Orban until the end of 2026.
During the 2022 season, Orban performed well and became the top scorer in the 2022 Norwegian first division with 16 goals, alongside Bård Finne. Gift Orbans contribution lead to Stabæk’s promotion to the 2023 Eliteserien. Gift Orban was also named young player of the year in the first division.
Gent
On 31 January 2023, Gift Orban joined Belgian Pro League side Gent on a permanent deal. On 11 february, Orban scored two goals on his Pro League debut in a 3–3 draw with Westerlo
On 12 March, Gift Orban’s name was written in history books for scoring four goals in a win over Zulte Waregem, making him the first Gent player to score four goals in one match in the 21st century. In the next game, just three days later on 15 march in the UEFA Europa Conference League round 16, Orbans scored in first-half hat-trick 4–1 win against İstanbul Başakşehir. The hat-trick was scored within three minutes and 25 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest hat-trick, and breaking the previous record of six minutes and 12 seconds held by Mohammed Salah in the Champions League. In the 2023–24 Europa Conference League Campaign of KAA Gent, Orban scored another European hat-trick against Pogoń Szczecin in the first leg of the third qualification round, resulting in a 5–0 win for Gent.
Lyon
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.
International Career
On 3 September 2023, he was selected by the Nigerian team to face São Tomé and Príncipe in the last AFCON qualifying match. Orban played great in the last season in the 2023/24 season, scoring 6 goals in seven games for Gent. Four of the goals were in the Europa League qualifying, and the remaining 2 goals were netted in three Jupiler League games. This is how his international career started.
Gift Orban was the top scorer in the Norwegian First Division in 2022 and was also named the Norwegian First Division Young Player of the Year in the same year.
Profile Summary
| Title | Details |
| Full Name | Gift Emmanuel Orban |
| Nick Name | Gift Orban |
| Date Of Birth | 2002 July 17 |
| Place Of Birth | Benue State, Nigeria. |
| Age | 21 years Old |
| Siblings | None |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | Nigeria |
| Height | 5.10 Inches |
| Weight | 70kg |
| Profession | Footballer |
| Marital Status | UnMarried |
| Net Worth | Estimated $1.5 million |
| Social Media Appearance | |
| Transfermarkt Profile | Gift Orban’s Transfermarkt Profile |
Social Media Appearance
Gift Orban, the Nigerian footballer, is actively connected with his fans on Instagram, sharing pictures and videos about his personal and professional life. Gift Orban has 419K followers on his Instagram he follows 124 accounts. He has posted 57 times on his verified Instagram Account.
Net Worth
Gift Orban is a great player who has played for many clubs and internationally for Nigerians. He earns his livelihood by playing football and is a rising star and a record-breaker. That is why Gift Orban has a net worth of almost $1.5 million.
