Nigerian star Gift Orban hailed for strong mindset
Hoffenheim coach Christian Ilzer has praised Nigerian striker Gift Orban for his strong mindset and determination to overcome difficulties.
Orban joined Hoffenheim in the winter after a challenging time at Lyon in Ligue 1. Since then, he has found his form again in the Bundesliga, scoring four goals in nine league matches.
However, his recent performance in Hoffenheim’s 1-1 draw against Heidenheim raised some concerns. Orban had several chances to score but was unable to find the net, leading to questions about his consistency as the team fights to stay out of relegation.
Ahead of their next match, Ilzer highlighted Orban’s resilience.
“It’s normal for goal-scorers not to focus too much on missed chances. They believe in their own ability and stay calm in the opponent’s penalty area,” Ilzer said in an interview with Kicker. “I saw that he has been training with great focus.”
Despite his recent improvement, Orban was left out of Nigeria’s final squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, as he did not make the provisional list.
This setback may inspire Orban to perform even better when Hoffenheim faces FC St. Pauli at the Millerntor-Stadion on Friday.
