By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria forward Gift Orban was on target once more as Hellas Verona surrendered a two-goal advantage in a 2–2 draw with Cagliari in Sunday’s Serie A encounter.
Verona began brightly at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, taking the lead through Gagliardi’s well-placed finish in the first half.
Orban then doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 59th minute, reacting sharply inside the box to slot home his fourth goal of the season, continuing his fine run of form since joining the Italian side.
However, Verona’s dominance began to fade as Cagliari launched a late resurgence. Riyad Idrissi pulled one back in the 77th minute, sparking hopes of a comeback.
In stoppage time, Felici struck a dramatic equaliser to snatch a point for the visitors, leaving Verona frustrated after what had seemed a certain victory.
Despite the late disappointment, Orban’s lively display and clinical finishing once again underlined his growing reputation as one of Serie A’s most exciting young strikers.
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.
