Gift Orban shines, helps Gent reach Conference League last 16

Gift Orban was the difference-maker for KAA Gent as they defeated Qarabag 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 aggregate scoreline over two legs. The 20-year-old Nigerian striker has now scored three goals in four games since making his switch to Belgium.

After losing the first leg 1-0 in Azerbaijan, Gent welcomed Qarabag to the Ghelamco Arena for the second leg. The manager opted to start youngster Orban on the bench despite having started him in the first leg. The Belgian side needed a goal to get them back on track in the encounter.

After a drab opening 70 minutes in Belgium, Gent manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck decided that he had seen enough. He sent Gift Orban on in place of Laurent Depoitre and it took the young striker only three minutes of action to score for his side.

Orban received a pass from Cameroon defender Michael Ngadeu before measuring a finish in the 73rd minute to give the Belgian outfit a lead on the night and draw them level on aggregate.

Neither side managed to score for the rest of regulation time, with the match going to extra time and eventually penalties. Orban was among the players who stepped up to take a penalty and scored, while Yassine Benzia was the only player to miss a penalty for Qarabag. Gent will be in Friday’s UEFA Europa Conference League draw after winning the shootout 5-3 at home.