Gent eye Ementa to replace Orban
KAA Gent, a Belgian Juplier League club with a long history of Nigerian players, is set to sign another Nigerian striker to replace the departing Gift Orban, according to TalkTalk Nigeria Sports Extra.
Over 20 Nigerian players have worn Gent blue, including Austin Eguavoen, Etim Esin, Moses Simon, William Troost-Ekong, and Taiwo Awoniyi.
According to Belgian media, the Limburgers have agreed to sign Anosike Ementa, a Danish-born forward of Nigerian heritage who is currently under contract with Danish club Viborg FF through 2026.
The 21-year-old joined the club from Aalborg in the summer, where he appeared 37 times for the senior team without scoring. This season, he has eight goals and four assists in 25 games for the Viborg first team.
Gent require a new attack force for next season, having sold Hugo Cuypers and Orban in January.
Meanwhile, Orban has been in excellent form for Olympique Lyon since his €13 million arrival in January, netting two key goals off the bench in April.
His ability to make an immediate effect has helped Lyon's chances in both the Coupe de France and the French Ligue 1.
On April 2, in Lyon's dramatic Coupe de France semi-final against Valenciennes, Orban stole the show just three minutes after coming on.
Facing a strong Valenciennes team, Orban sealed a resounding 3-0 victory, advancing to the final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Orban's heroics continued in Lyon's Ligue 1 clash with relegation-threatened Nantes.
Despite starting on the bench, Orban had an impact when he entered the game in the 86th minute, scoring his first league goal and completing Lyon's 3-1 comeback victory.
The 21-year-old completed 2023 as Nigeria's highest scorer in Europe, with 32 goals, six more than Napoli's Victor Osimhen, who was second. He has struggled to replicate his heroics in France, although he has scored three goals since coming on January 31.
Orban is Nigeria's best scorer at Gent, with 32 goals in 52 games, followed by Moses Simon (21 goals in 136 games) and Samuel Kalu (10 goals in 55 games).
