VIDEO: Gift Orban nets stunner in Gent playoff win over Westerlo

Gift Orban grabbed the headlines again for KAA Gent as they secured a 3-1 win over KVC Westerlo in their Belgian Pro League Conference League Playoff meeting. The Nigerian starlet took his tally for the club to 15 goals in only 17 appearances.

After scoring nine goals in ten matches to help Gent finish fifth in the regular season, the striker was left on the bench for the first playoff match, with Tarik Tissoudali preferred up front. Orban scored against Westerlo in their previous meeting on his debut following his arrival this season.

Playing away from home did not deter Westerlo as they went in front through Belgian midfielder Mathias Fixelles after only 27 minutes. The home side rallied and found an equaliser in the 52nd minute after Hugo Cuypers set up midfielder Hyunseok Hong to draw his side level. Three minutes later, the game was turned on its head as Sven Kums scored to put the home side ahead for the first time in the game.

Gift Orban was introduced off the bench in the 76th minute, replacing Tissoudali for the final quarter of an hour. With two minutes left on the clock, the 20-year-old added his now-customary scorcher to seal the points for the home side. Running onto a flick-on from Cuypers, the striker controlled the ball but nearly overran it as it bounced away from him. The chance seemed gone until he pulled the trigger with a brilliant half-volley from the edge of the box to score his side’s third.

Here is the goal:

https://twitter.com/ElevenBeFR/status/1652070191927312390?s=20

Gent will hope Orban continues firing as they take on Standard Liege and Cercle Brugge in the Belgian League’s UEFA Europa Conference League Playoffs in the coming weeks.