Nigeria and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim striker Gift Orban continued his fine form, finding the net in his side’s 1-1 draw against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday evening.
The 22-year-old, who joined Die Kraichgauer from Lyon in January, has often been used as an impact substitute but was handed a rare start and he repaid his manager’s trust in style.
Hoffenheim fell behind early, with Nick Woltemade opening the scoring for Stuttgart just nine minutes into the game.
The visitors continued to dominate, pushing for a second goal, but Hoffenheim’s goalkeeper, Oliver Baumann, produced a string of crucial saves to keep them in the contest.
He denied efforts from Angelo Stiller, Woltemade, and Deniz Undav in quick succession to ensure his side stayed within touching distance.
Despite Stuttgart’s pressure, Hoffenheim found their equalizer against the run of play in the 74th minute.
A poor clearance from Jeff Chabot fell to Andrej Kramarić, who showed excellent awareness to tee up Orban.
The Nigerian striker displayed brilliant footwork, effortlessly skipping past Maximilian Mittelstädt before curling a superb shot past Alexander Nübel to make it 1-1.
Orban’s goal injected new energy into the game, with both teams pushing for a winner in the closing stages.
However, neither side could find the decisive goal, and Hoffenheim had to settle for a valuable point.
The Nigerian forward was substituted in the 84th minute, while his compatriot Kevin Akpoguma played the full 90 minutes.
With the draw, Hoffenheim sit 14th in the Bundesliga table with 22 points from 23 matches, maintaining a six-point cushion above the relegation zone.
Orban’s impact has been undeniable since his arrival in January. He has now scored four goals in seven Bundesliga appearances more than he managed during his entire spell in Ligue 1 with Lyon.
If his form continues, he could be the key to Hoffenheim’s survival push in the latter part of the season.
