Gift Orban stuns with humble gesture, hands Man of the Match award to Lacazette

Super Eagles invitee Gift Orban, fresh off a stellar performance against Monaco, has handed his Man of the Match award to former Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette, Soccernet.ng reports.

Lyon found themselves trailing by two goals, prompting coach Pierre Sage to bring Orban off the bench in the 61st minute. The decision quickly paid off as Ainsley Maitland-Niles reduced the deficit just moments later, making it 3-2.

Orban then took center stage, scoring Lyon’s equaliser in the 63rd minute to level the match at 3-3. The Nigerian forward wasn’t finished; in the 72nd minute, he struck again, rising unmarked in Strasbourg’s area to head in a cross from Malick Fofana, securing Lyon’s 4-3 lead.

His match-winning performance earned him the Man of the Match accolade. However, in a surprising gesture of humility, Orban handed the award to his teammate Alexandre Lacazette, acknowledging the Frenchman’s crucial contribution.

In his post-match interview, Orban expressed his admiration for Lacazette, saying, “Thanks for the Man of the Match award, but I prefer to give it to Alex (Lacazette). He had a good match. What do you think?”

Previously linked with a potential exit from Lyon, the former Gent player has recently shown his value to the team with his decisive performances on the pitch.