How Gift Orban Nearly Joined the Nigerian Police When Football Failed

Gift Orban’s story is truly moving and worth diving into. Like many African footballers who dream of making it big in Europe’s top leagues or the Premier League, he faced significant challenges early in his career. In Nigeria, he hit a rough patch where opportunities were scarce, and the frustration nearly drove him to quit football altogether. At one point, his struggle was so intense that he even considered joining the Nigerian police force as a backup plan. Fortunately, Gift persevered through these tough times, ultimately overcoming his obstacles and finding the breakthrough he needed in the sport he loves.

In summary, this football article provides a comprehensive look at Gift Orban’s journey. It details the story of a boy from the suburbs of Lagos who braved harsh weather conditions just to play football. His love for traditional Nigerian food—like eba, fufu, and amala—made his move to Norway particularly challenging. In a remote part of Norway where he was living, he could only find rice and chicken for months because there were no restaurants serving African food. Despite these struggles, Gift Orban overcame the odds and made his mark in the UEFA club competition, all before turning 21.

Our Gift Orban biography covers everything you need to know about his early years and personal life. It dives into his childhood, his upbringing with a Nigerian father and Togolese mother, and details about his family background, including his siblings and girlfriend. The article also provides insights into Gift Orban’s family origins, ethnicity, religion, and hometown, as well as his education.

Preamble:

Our version of Gift Orban’s biography kicks off by highlighting key moments from his childhood. We then delve into his Nigerian and Togolese heritage and early career milestones. Finally, we trace his journey to becoming one of the most promising talents in the Belgian League.

We hope this piece fuels your curiosity about Gift Orban’s story. To give you a deeper look, we’ve included a gallery that illustrates his journey from his early years to his rise with the national team.

Absolutely, Gift Orban is widely recognized for his incredible speed and versatility. He’s equally adept with both feet, making him an unpredictable and formidable opponent. Known for his aggressive playing style, he often puts defenders on edge, and his knack for finishing off chances with precision only adds to his threat on the field.

In our extensive coverage of Nigerian footballers, including stars like Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi, we’ve found that Gift Orban’s story is less well-known but equally compelling. So, without further ado, let’s dive into his fascinating journey.

Gift Orban Childhood Story:

To start with, Gift Emmanuel Orban, born on July 17, 2002, is a true speedster in football. He was born in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and a Togolese mother.

As the only child, Gift was raised with immense love and support from his parents, who played a crucial and disciplinary role in shaping his character from a young age. Despite their significant influence on his success, there are very few photos of them available online.

Growing-Up Years:

Gift Orban spent part of his childhood in his birthplace in Nigeria before moving to Togo, his mother’s homeland, where he spent most of his teenage years.

As an only child, Gift formed close bonds with other kids in his community. Together, they developed a deep passion for soccer and made a pact to train hard with the dream of reaching the professional level.

Gift Orban Early Life:

Gift Orban was clearly inspired by the success of his compatriot, Emmanuel Adebayor, in top European leagues. This motivation fueled his own ambition to achieve similar greatness.

Determined to follow in these footsteps, Orban played football on the streets with his friends. Despite his small stature, his skill with the ball was evident, and even onlookers could see that he was a talented young player.

Unfortunately, Gift Orban’s impressive athletic talent, which was too advanced for street football, was largely confined to the streets. The lack of sports academies to nurture his skills made it challenging for him to advance. As a result, the foundation of his career was built entirely on playing football in the streets.

Gift Orban Family Background:

Growing up in a modest, middle-class household, Gift Orban learned many valuable life lessons. He appreciated the basics of life—being clothed, fed, and sheltered—thanks to the hard work of his parents.

While in many African countries, including Togo, where about 30% of children aged 5 to 14 are involved in labor, Gift Orban was fortunate not to face such hardships. His parents ensured he never had to work as a child laborer. Their stable income provided him with the comfort and support he needed as he grew up. This background has helped Orban maintain a grounded and humble attitude.

Interestingly, Orban’s family was financially secure; his father owned a house in Nigeria, and his mother had another in Togo. As a result, he never had to worry about sleeping rough or going hungry.

Gift Orban Family Origin:

Gift Orban’s heritage is a blend of two cultures. His mother is from Togo, making him Togolese on his maternal side, while his Nigerian roots come from his father. Therefore, Gift Orban holds dual nationality—Nigerian and Togolese.

A particularly interesting aspect of his maternal lineage is their significant role in the phosphate industry. His mother’s family is one of the largest phosphate producers in the world, a remarkable detail that adds depth to Orban’s background.

On the other hand, Gift Orban’s father is Nigerian, specifically from the Middlebelt region of the country. More precisely, he is from Benue State, which is well-known for its rich agricultural produce and abundant food production in Nigeria.

What is Gift Orban’s Tribe?

From an ethnic and linguistics standpoint, the name Orban is mainly associated with the Tiv language speakers. Research shows that Gift Orban’s ancestral roots connect to both the Tiv and Idoma languages, which are predominantly spoken in Benue State, Nigeria, where his father is from, much like Moses Simon.

In summary, Gift Orban has a rich, mixed heritage. His background blends both Togolese and Nigerian ancestry, reflecting his West African roots from both his maternal and paternal sides.

Gift Orban Education:

African parents are renowned for their strong emphasis on education, so Gift Orban was expected to prioritize his schooling while treating other activities as secondary. However, Orban’s passion for football often took precedence over his academics.

His parents were lenient about his grades, which led him to skip classes to play local matches. This occasionally resulted in him being punished at school the following day. Despite the consequences, Orban preferred enduring the punishment rather than missing an important football game.

“I used to run away from class to play football matches, and it led to me getting beaten up in school the next day.”

Football Story:

The soccer expedition of the talented speedster began during his childhood days in the suburbs of Lagos. During this time, he often ventured into playing aggressive street football with his peers.

On some occasions, Gift Orban would visit the famous Lagos beach, where he played beach soccer. All the time he spent playing in the sand not only gave him joy but unconsciously helped him build his muscles.

Hence, the speedster started developing his agility and endurance from a young age. Interestingly, Orban officially joined a football academy in Togo at the age of 13. At first, he found it difficult to adapt to the academy’s strict rules.

The truth is, he has always enjoyed the freedom of doing his thing on the street. However, he had to adjust to the strict rules and guidelines of his football academy.

Road to Fame Story:

As time passed, the promising kid from the suburb of Lagos adjusted well to his soccer academic system. After four years of training at the academy, Orban didn’t get enough opportunities to land a successful career deal.

Hence, he returned to his fatherland and considered joining the Nigerian police force. Thanks to his gut to never give up, he soon found himself playing among the elites of the local Nigerian club – Bison FC.

Fortunately, his destiny took a new turn upon attending a tournament organised by foreign scouts to select talented players. The striker didn’t need to make an extra effort before he caught the attention of Torgeir Bjarmann and Thomas Finstad.

The men who scouted Orban were former Norwegian professional players who worked as technical staff at Stabaek. They quickly arranged for him to go to Norway with them.

Although the news was a huge breakthrough to Orban’s career expedition, he wished he had secured a ticket to Europe’s top-5 league instead.

Life in Norway:

As a 19-year-old living far from home, the speedster needed to adjust quickly to his new environment. However, a move that drew him closer to his dreams almost became a nightmare for him.

Gift Orban lived all his life in a country with an average annual temperature of 33 degrees. Now, he has to adapt to Norway’s freezing temperature, which could go as low as zero degrees or even below zero degrees.

That was indeed a terrible experience, to begin with. Orban also didn’t have people who would keep him company in his house. To add to the list of his troubles, there were no African restaurants where he could eat some native Nigerian meal.

Hence, Orban had to survive on eating only rice and chicken during his stay in Norway. His visa expired after training with Stabaek’s team B during the 2021-22 winter, prompting him to return home (Nigeria).

Gift Orban Bio – More Success Stories:

In May 2022, the talisman was finally signed to officially feature for Stabaek. Hence, he had to move back to Norway. His second return meant real business as he took no time to stamp his name in the list of goalscorers.

Seeing his excellent attacking prowess, Stabaek’s management quickly enlisted him as a starting striker for the team. It wasn’t too long before Gift Orban captured the heart of many Norwegian fans.

He scored one of his magnificent goals against Brann in July 2022. It was a solo goal that saw Orban dribbling past all of the Brann defenders before scoring. This goal got the famous VG calling him a “striker jewel.”

Guess What?… Gift Orban established himself as the top scorer of the 2022 Norwegian First Division. He scored 16 goals in just 22 appearances and helped his team secure promotion to the 2023 Eliteserien – Norway’s top-tier league.

As a result, he was awarded the 2022 Young Player of the Year in the Norwegian First Division. He continues to prove himself in top form while waiting to join Victor Osimhen or Emmanuel Dennis in the Nigerian national team – Super Eagles.

Career Breakthrough:

One of the significant reasons Orban had a fulfilling first season at Stabaek was his unwavering focus. Even though he had difficulty adapting to the weather and food of Norway, he never for once pushed to leave the club.

While preparing for the 2023 season, Gift Orban’s agent called him to pack his bag. They had secured a €3.3million deal with the Belgian Pro League club, KAA Gent, and had to move to Belgium on the 31st day of January 2023.

The talisman’s reaction to this beautiful news was priceless. Here are Gift Orban’s words;

“I was delighted because I had known KAA Gent for quite some time through Instagram.

Although it’s not the absolute top yet, it is a glorious Belgian club with a good reputation in major competitions.

Indeed, I can gain a lot of experience here.”

Unlike the performance of Moses Simon in his debut season, Orban had a rather glorious start to his spell at Genk. Just 12 days after joining the club, he scored twice during his Pro League debut game on the 11th day of February 2023.

The talented forward scored 15 goals in only 14 appearances for Gent. He even won his club’s Goal of the Month (GOTM) and Player of the Month awards in February and March of 2023. Certainly, he will win much more in the ensuing days of his career.

On January 18, 2024, the Nigerian speedster inked a four-and-a-half-year deal with Lyon. Gift became part of the club’s formidable squad, featuring talents such as Alexandre Lacazette (CF), Corentin Tolisso, and Rayan Cherki, among others. His talent is expected to significantly contribute to a resurgence at Olympique Lyonnais. As the saying goes, the rest is history.

Personal Life:

Who is Gift Orban?

Have you seen the way the goalscorer celebrates? You would always find his actions hilarious and fulfilling to watch. That’s the nature of the man Orban is. Like Taiwo Awoniyi and Paul Onuachu, he is an extroverted person with a high sense of humour.

The forward usually makes funny remarks in major gatherings with his teammates, prompting them to brand him as a comedian. When he doesn’t have a tight schedule, he often visits the beach with his friends to have a good time together.

Despite being quite the friendly gentleman off the pitch, Gift Orban is apparently a nightmare to many defenders. He may seem aggressive while in the game, but away from the pitch, he is just another interesting young man.

Lifestyle:

It is no longer news that soccer players always go home with so much cash at the end of every week. Of course, their enormous wealth is one of the reasons most of them live a luxurious lifestyle.

However, not all footballers opt to buy expensive assets. In the case of Gift Orban, he’s acquired a comfortable home for himself as well as a nice car to help him move around. Pictured below is a glimpse of his assets.

Gift Orban Family Life:

Learning to work as a team player has been a trait that the forward developed from living with his parents. In his family, everyone ensures to participate in supporting each other’s business.

This is one reason Gift Orban thrived and survived in his career expedition. Therefore, this section will tell you everything we know about his family members.

Gift Orban’s Father:

The first person to believe in the speedster’s talent was his dad. For this reason, he had his son enrolled in an academy where he trains after school. As earlier stated, Gift Orban’s father is a Nigerian.

He was born in the North central part of the country – Benue State. While searching for greener pastures, the dribbler’s dad moved to Lagos, where he finally settled down. As I compile this biography, Gift Orban and his father have a good relationship.

Gift Orban’s Mother:

There is certainly no doubt that the Gent’s forward receives so much love and support from his Mum. She’s the first person he always reaches out to for advice. Sadly, her name has not been mentioned in his interviews since his rise to fame.

Gift Orban’s Siblings:

Growing up in the suburb of Lagos, there was no way the young lad would have been lonely even if he had no brothers or sisters. The truth is, Orban is always surrounded by genuine friends who would come through for him no matter the circumstances.

Untold Facts:

To round up Gift Orban’s Childhood Story and biography, we present a few facts you probably don’t know about him. Without further delay, let’s begin.

UEFA Record-Breaking Hat-Trick:

Gift Orban achieved a notable milestone by becoming the fastest football player to score a hat-trick in a UEFA club competition. This impressive feat occurred during Gent’s second-leg match against Istanbul Basaksehir in March 2023.

Interestingly, the 20-year-old scored all three goals within 205 seconds. This milestone saw Gent finishing the game victoriously with a scoreline of 4-1 and an aggregate of 5-2.

Thanks to the phenomenal performance of Orban, he was able to help his club secure a quarter-final ticket in the 2023 Europa Conference League. Indeed, he will record many more great achievements in his career expedition.

Gift Orban’s Salary:

Research shows that the Gent’s dribbler makes about €6,000 per week. Too small, right? When you dive into his club’s salary breakdown for 2023, you will realize that they aren’t financially buoyant to extravagantly pay everyone on their roster. We know he will subsequently see a hike in his earnings and market value.

How rich is the Gent Goalscorer?

To understand the magnitude of his wealth, we must compare Orban’s annual earnings to the average salary in his fatherland. It appears that the mean earning of a Nigerian citizen is €8,664 per year.

Gift Orban Tattoo:

Athletes tend to inscribe some important figures on their bodies. Gift Orban is apparently not left out, as he has inscribed some tattoos on his right arm. He inked a Lion and a clock close to his right shoulder area and even enjoyed flaunting it on his Instagram page.

Gift Orban’s Religion:

Although he doesn’t publicly talk about where his loyalty lies on matters of faith, we have discovered that he is a Christian. Orban is like Joe Aribo and Michael Olise, who don’t engage in religious arguments or discussions.

He would rather maintain a close relationship with God in silence than publicise it on social media. No matter how aggressive his style of play is, he rarely decides to get into a fight because it goes against his beliefs.

Gift Orban’s Profile:

Despite his good finishing stats, the Gent pointsman still has to improve on so many aspects before he can reach the level of Ademola Lookman and Odion Ighalo. He needs to work on his crossing, free-kick accuracy, and long shots to get to the top level of his prowess.

EndNote:

The Fast Rising Baller was born a talented athlete. Regarding Gift Orban’s Origin, his Dad is a Nigerian, while his Mom is a Togolese. The pointsman spent part of his childhood in his fatherland and a few years of his early life in his motherland.

Becoming a professional athlete was a dream he had conceived since his humble beginning. He often skipped class for soccer matches and would get punished in school the next day.

The young talent soon found himself playing in a youth academy in Togo. But when he realized he wasn’t making notable progress, he moved back to Nigeria to join a local academy – Bison FC – at 17.

Luck found Orban, who eventually impressed some scouts and got a loan spell to join the Norwegian team Stabaek. It wasn’t long enough before he secured a permanent deal with the team.

Living away from his parents was challenging for Gift, much like Terem Moffi felt when he departed from his parents to move to London during his teenage years.

Nonetheless, he endured the challenges and soon signed a € 3.3 million contract with KAA Gent in the Belgian league. Thanks to his exceptional talent, Gift Orban is already making history in European football.

Appreciation Note:

Thank you for reading our version of Gift Orban’s Biography. Just know that we often strive for fairness and accuracy when delivering our Football Stories that relate to Nigeria.

Moreover, Gift Orban’s Bio is part of our wider collection of African athletes’ Histories. In our Nigerian football archive, stories like that of Victor Boniface and Noah Atubolu should excite you.

Do well to contact us if you find anything that doesn’t seem right in this memoir. We would be glad if you could kindly share your thoughts on the Gent’s superstar with us.