Hattrick Catapults Gift Orban to Joint Top With Osimhen on Turkish Scorers Chart
Gift Orban moved level with compatriot Victor Osimhen at the top of the Turkish top-flight scoring chart after firing a hat-trick in Amed SK’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir.
The Nigerian forward was the star of the show, producing a clinical display in front of goal to take his league tally to the summit and underline his growing influence since moving to Turkey.
Orban’s treble means he now sits joint-top among the league’s leading scorers alongside Osimhen, adding another intriguing dimension to the battle between two of Nigeria’s leading attacking talents.
Elsewhere, Dapo Afolayan enjoyed a productive outing in the English Championship, scoring twice as Blackburn Rovers defeated Millwall 3-1 to claim an important three points.
Kelechi Iheanacho also maintained his remarkable start to the campaign, scoring for Bursaspor in their 2-2 draw against Esenler. The striker has now registered nine goals in seven games this season.
In Italy, Akor Adams opened his Serie A account with his first goal in the division, although Venezia eventually suffered a 4-2 defeat against Fiorentina.
Kazeem Olaigbe was another Nigerian standout, contributing three assists as Basel secured an entertaining 4-2 victory over FC Luzern in the Swiss league.
It was a frustrating afternoon, however, for Taiwo Awoniyi, who was shown a red card in the 52nd minute as Coventry City endured a heavy 5-0 home defeat to Brighton.
With Orban leading the headlines, the weekend once again underlined the growing impact of Nigerian players across Europe, with goals, assists and significant individual performances coming from several leagues.
