By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian striker Gift Orban has described his first season in the Bundesliga with TSG Hoffenheim as “rough,” following a challenging debut campaign marked by limited playing time and inconsistent form.
The 22-year-old joined Hoffenheim from French club Olympique Lyon in January for a reported €9 million fee but has struggled to secure a regular starting role in Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side.
Orban made 13 league appearances, scoring four goals for the Village club, but admitted that the season did not go as planned.
“It’s been a rough season, no doubt. Things didn’t go how I planned, but I’ve kept my head down and kept grinding,” Orban wrote on social media platform X.
“The season’s almost over, and I’m focused on finishing strong and coming back better.”
Despite the challenges, the former Gent forward remains optimistic about his development and is aiming to return stronger in the next campaign as he continues to adapt to life in the German top flight.
Orban was previously linked with a move to the Premier League before choosing to continue his development in Germany.
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.
