“We now see his shortcomings” – Former KAA Gent goalkeeper Coninck blasts out-of-form Super Eagles invitee

The Nigerian forward was exceptional in his first few months in Belgium, but things have not been going his way in recent weeks.

Former Royal Antwerp and KAA Gent goalkeeper Wim De Coninck has taken a huge swipe at forward Gift Orban following his recent struggles in front of goal.

Orban was sensational for Gent after arriving at the club in January, with the youngster scoring 20 goals across 22 games, including the fastest hat-trick in European Cup competitions.

The 21-year-old striker’s brilliant form in front of goal attracted attention from some of the continent’s biggest clubs, with reports linking him with a move to English Premier League Tottenham Hotspurs.

Incredibly, the goals have, however, dried up for Orban, with the former Stabæk managing only seven goals in 17 appearances this term.

Only one of those goals has come in Orban’s last ten games, with the Super Eagles invitee no longer guaranteed a starting spot at Gent.

In a chat with Het Nieuwsblad (as per Walfoot), former Belgian goalkeeper De Coninck questioned Orban’s attitude and lack of team ethics.

De Coninck noted that the youngster thought more of himself than the team even when he was doing well, urging the Gent forward to have patience and work hard.

“What Gift accomplished during his first months in Ghent was miraculous, phenomenal,” De Coninck said.

“It is normal that such a performance cannot last forever. Even then, you could see that he was mainly focusing on himself.

“They definitely tried to get him to focus more on the team, but he lost sight of that a little bit.

“We especially now see his shortcomings and he is fighting with himself. How to resolve this? It will take patience, I fear. We very rarely see Orban in the zone of truth. It must be difficult for him. Just a few months ago, we were talking about a big transfer to England or elsewhere.

“Now he is on the bench at Gent, and he has to overcome this difficult period, which is probably new for him. I’m sure they try to talk to him a lot at Gent, but if they then put him on the bench.”

Despite his struggles, Orban has been nominated for the CAF Young Player of the Year award for his stunning exploits in the first half of the year.