Gift Orban gets nominated for CAF Awards

The Super Eagles striker has had a fantastic year, and he has been rewarded with a nomination by CAF

Super Eagles striker Gift Orban has been nominated in the Young Player of the Year category of the upcoming CAF Awards, Soccernet reports.

Orban has had a fantastic year at Belgian Jupiler Pro League side Gent. The 21-year-old forward joined the Buffalos from Norwegian lower-tier side Stabaek, and he has been a revelation since then. Orban has registered 27 goals and two assists in 38 games for Gent.

His performances have not gone unnoticed, as he has won a national team call-up and has been linked with a transfer to other bigger clubs like Lille, Tottenham, and Barcelona, albeit none of those talks have come to fruition.

Orban has also now been nominated for the CAF Young Player of the Year. He is the only Nigerian on the list. He has competition from Burkina Faso youngsters Dango Ouattara (Bournemouth), Souleymane Alio (New Stars), Ghana star Ernest Nuamah (Olympique Lyonnais), Morocco prodigies Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Betis), Bilal El Khannous (Genk) Gift Orban, and Senegal players Lamine Camara (Generation Foot/Metz), Pape Amadou Diallo (Generation Foot/Metz), Pape Demba Diop (Zulte Waregem), and Amara Diouf (Generation Foot).

The award is only for players aged 21 and below, and the last Nigerian to win it was Alex Iwobi. Meanwhile, Napoli star Victor Osimhen is still a frontrunner for the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award.