Gift Orban joined KAA Gent from Stabaek Fotbal during the January transfer window and settled in quickly
KAA Gent manager, Hein Vanhaezebrouck, has disclosed the club’s efforts to help Nigerian forward Gift Orban rediscover his form after a slow start to the 2023-24 season, Soccernet.ng reports.
In contrast to his impressive 2022-23 campaign where he scored 20 goals in just 22 appearances, Orban has struggled to find the back of the net this season, managing just two goals in his last seven outings.
Earlier, the Belgian manager had acknowledged Orban’s poor form both on the pitch and in training, which has hampered his chances of reclaiming a spot in the starting lineup.
In a recent update shared by Sporza, the 59-year-old coach shed light on Gent’s efforts to rejuvenate Orban. They are actively reminding him of his past prolific performances and believe he can regain his stride.
“We are working intensively with him to get him back to his old level. For example, we show him images of things he does or did well and we chat with him about the things that did work in the past. He will pick this up again. And if he does, he can come out stronger here as a young player,” he stated.
Despite his quest for resurgence, Orban faces competition from Fofana, Cuypers, Tissoudali, and Hjulsager.
He added: “He just needs to realize now that he needs to make an extra effort. If everything goes by itself and you keep scoring, you can already afford not to do anything extra for the team. He will now have to make that effort to function within the squad.”
Gent is set to clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv tonight in their second Europa Conference League encounter, where Orban will be eager to recapture his impressive form.