“Continue like this” – Nigeria’s topscorer in Serie A charged to do more ahead of AC Milan battle

Gift Orban continues to strengthen his case as Nigeria’s most in-form striker in Serie A after delivering a decisive brace to secure Hellas Verona’s dramatic 2–1 victory away to Fiorentina on Sunday, Soccernet.ng reports.

Introduced earlier than expected in the 35th minute following an injury to Giovane Nascimento, Orban wasted no time announcing his presence.

Just seven minutes after stepping onto the pitch, the 2024 Super Eagles invitee opened the scoring with a clinical finish at the end of a lightning-fast counter-attack, giving Verona a crucial lead heading into half-time.

Fiorentina responded after the break and drew level in the 69th minute through an unfortunate Unai Núñez own goal, increasing pressure on Paolo Zanetti’s side.

Verona were forced to defend deep for long spells, absorbing wave after wave of Fiorentina attacks as the game appeared to be drifting towards a draw.

However, Orban had other ideas. Deep into stoppage time, the 23-year-old struck again, beating David de Gea at his near post in the 93rd minute to hand Verona only their second league victory of the season.

With four goals in 12 Serie A appearances, Orban now leads the scoring charts among Nigerian players in Italy this season.

Ademola Lookman has two goals in 11 matches, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Honest Ahanor are yet to open their accounts. The numbers place Orban firmly at the front of the queue.

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Bella-Kotchap lauds Nigeria's Orban and Verona’s resilience

While Orban provided the decisive moments, Verona’s defensive resolve was equally crucial.

Armel Bella-Kotchap marshalled a back line that stood firm under sustained Fiorentina pressure, with the visitors registering 46 clearances and 12 interceptions. The goalkeeper also played his part, producing four key saves to preserve Verona’s narrow lead.

After the final whistle, Bella-Kotchap was quick to single out Orban for praise while emphasising the collective effort behind the result.

“I’m really happy for him (Orban). He was exceptional, played a very important match and helped us win with his two goals. He, like the whole team, must continue like this,” Bella-Kotchap told DAZN after the game.

“We worked as a team. Each of my teammates did the right job for this victory, and we want to continue like this.”

Despite the win, Verona remain 18th in the Serie A standings, though they move up to 12 points from 15 games and extend their unbeaten run to two matches.

Fiorentina, meanwhile, stay rooted to the bottom with just six points and will now shift focus to their Conference League clash against Lausanne on Thursday.

For Verona, attention turns quickly to a daunting trip to the San Siro, where they face AC Milan on Sunday, December 28.

Orban will once again be expected to provide the cutting edge as the Gialloblù seek a positive result that could lift them out of the relegation zone for the first time this season and end 2025 on a high.

With his third and fourth goals of the campaign, Orban is now just two goals shy of matching his tally from last season, a sign that his momentum is building at exactly the right time.