By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian striker Gift Orban says he is determined to make the most of his new chapter in Italy after sealing a loan move to Serie A side Hellas Verona from Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim.
The 22-year-old completed the switch on Wednesday, with Verona paying an initial €1 million loan fee and retaining the option to make the deal permanent next summer for an additional €8 million.
For Orban, the move represents a chance to reset after a challenging six-month spell at Hoffenheim, where he scored four goals in 16 appearances following his January arrival from Olympique Lyon.
Grateful for the opportunity, Orban took to social media platform X to share his excitement and pledge total commitment to his new club.
“I’m proud to begin this new adventure with such a wonderful club. Thank you for this opportunity,” Orban wrote.
“I will give everything on the pitch for these colours. I can’t wait to get started.”
Although he has received two call-ups to the Super Eagles, Orban is still waiting to make his long-awaited debut for Nigeria. A strong season in Italy could well boost his chances of finally breaking into the national team setup.
Nicknamed “The Village Club”, Verona opened their Serie A campaign with a 1–1 draw against Udinese earlier this week, and Orban will be aiming to add firepower as the club looks to secure another solid season in Italy’s top flight.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
