By Wale Mustapha
Head coach of Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, Christian Ilzer, has praised Nigerian striker Gift Orban for his professionalism and maturity in handling missed scoring opportunities.
Since joining Hoffenheim in January, Orban has scored four goals in nine appearances but has faced some frustration in converting additional chances.
Despite this, Ilzer commended the young striker for his focus and attitude.
“It’s a hallmark of goal-scorers that they don’t dwell on missed chances for too long,” Ilzer said.
“Instead, they trust their own processes and maintain their composure in the opponent’s penalty area. I’ve noticed that Gift has been training with great concentration.”
Ilzer’s remarks come ahead of Hoffenheim’s Bundesliga clash against St. Pauli on Friday, where Orban will be looking to build on his positive performances and increase his goal tally.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
