Gift Orban Scores Fastest Hat-trick In UEFA Club Competitions
The 20-year-old Nigerian sensation, Gift Orban scored three goals within the space of just 205 seconds to help Belgian club Gent beat Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey on Wednesday.
Orban set a new record for the fastest hat-trick ever witnessed in a UEFA club competition. All three of his goals came in the first half of Gent’s 4-1 win, which saw them progress to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League 5-2 on aggregate.
Gent owed their triumph to the exceptional Orban who delivered a masterclass in front of goal at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Wednesday evening.
You may Also Read: UEFA Champions League: Osimhen Gives Reason Why He Didn’t Take The Penalty Against Frankfurt
Orban was the star of the show, netting three goals in just three minutes with the opener coming in the 31st minute, a cleverly placed left-footed strike that left the Basaksehir goalkeeper with no chance.
The youngster then followed it up with a potential goal of the week just a minute later before rounding off his hat trick with another fine effort in the danger area seconds later.
Hugo Cuypers made it 4-0 for Gent in the 37th minute. Basaksehir did manage to grab a late consolation goal through former Manchester United player, Adnan Januzaj but it was too little too late as the contest was dead and buried.
Orban has now scored eleven goals in his last seven games and the UEFA Europa Conference League Twitter page gave him a special recognition:
⏰ 3 minutes & 25 seconds ⏰
Gift Orban has scored the fastest hat-trick in UEFA club competitions ????@KAAGent || #UECL pic.twitter.com/oWJVllmV2a
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) March 15, 2023
Just at the weekend, Orban scored four goals in a Belgian First Division A encounter to propel Gent to destroy Zulte Waregem 6-2 at the Elindus Arena.
He has now scored 12 goals in his first nine matches since joining Gent from Stabaek in Norway in January.
