Gift Orban celebrates his goal during the French Cup match between Olympique Lyonnais and Lille OSC at Groupama Stadium. (Photo by Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Olympique Lyonnais winger Malick Fofana voiced his unwavering support for teammate Gift Orban amidst the forward’s struggles to find his footing since joining the club in January from Belgian side KAA Gent.
Orban, who arrived with high expectations, has yet to make a significant impact failing to score in eight league appearances for Les Gones.
Fofana, who shares the pitch with Orban, came to his defense and highlighted the challenges of transitioning to a new league and emphasizing the Nigerian’s positive attributes.
“Oh, Gift has to adapt. There are different rules here than in Ghent,” the 18-year-old Belgian winger remarked in quotes published by Voetbalkrant. “He has had a hard time with that. He’s a special, but good guy. In the meantime, everyone knows him a little.”
Despite Gift Orban’s slow start, Lyon’s faith in the 21-year-old remains steadfast, evident in the significant investment of fifteen million euros to secure his services, following his impressive spell in Belgium where he notched 32 goals in 52 appearances for KAA Gent.
