In-form Nigerian striker, Gift Orban, scored a hat-trick in three minutes and 25 seconds to inspire Belgian side Gent to a 4-1 comfortable win over Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir and qualify for the quarter final of the UEFA Europa Conference League on Wednesday.
Gent scored all four goals within seven minutes to shock their Turkish hosts who were hoping for an easy win and qualification to the next round having drawn the first leg 1-1 in Belgium.
Orban opened the scoring for the visitors in the 31st minute, made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute before completing his hat-trick in the 34th minute to become the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Conference league and taking his goals tally to five in the competition in four games.
Hugo Cuypers made it 4-0 in the 37th minute while Adnan Januzaj’s 88th minute goal only proved to be a consolation for the hosts. According to statistics, Orban’s hat-trick is the fastest ever in UEFA club competitions.
It is the fourth consecutive game in which the Nigerian youngster has found the back of the net. He scored four goals in Gent’s 6-2 mauling of Zulte Waregem over the weekend in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League.
The 20-year-old who joined the Belgian side during the January transfer window for €3 million has found the back of the net 12 times in nine appearances in all competitions.
