CAF Awards 2023: Orban Listed For Young Player Of The Year

Nigeria’s young prolific striker, Gift Orban has been nominated for the CAF Young Player of the Year award for 2023.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) released the shortlist on their X handle (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

Senegal has four players on the shortlist. They are; Pape Diop, Lamine Camara, Amara Diouf, and Pape Amadou Diallo.

Morocco’s Bilal El Khannouss and Absessamad Elzzzazzouli as well as Ghana’s Ernest Nuamah are also up for the award.

Burkina Faso’s Dango Quatarra and Souleymane are the other players, who made the list.

Orban, who is yet to make his Super Eagles debut scored 27 goals and two assists in 38 games in all competitions for Belgian club KAA Gent since his arrival from Norwegian club Stabaek.

The 21-year-old also entered the UEFA history book last season by scoring the fastest hat-trick ever in any European competition courtesy of his three goals against Istanbul Basaksehir.

Should Orban win the award, Orban will join the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho,Alex Iwobi and Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala to have won the prestigious award.